


Under the Moon

by SpyroForLife



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Animal Death, Blood, Fluff, Gore, M/M, NSFW, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Smut, Werewolf, Werewolf!Dipper, human death, vampire, vampire!Bill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:05:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4805567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two supernatural beings make a kill together. One takes the blood, the other takes the meat. Such a strange couple, a vampire and a werewolf, but as far as they're concerned, their shared bloodlust is the most perfect thing in the world.<br/>Inspired by Tumblr user GravityFaller7's Bloodlust AU. <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The full moon was high in the night sky, casting its soft yellow rays onto the canopy of the forest. The light filtered down through the trees, spots and slivers shining along the ground, the pine needles and other foliage casting strange shadows.

A magnificent night for a hunt.

An ancient vampire, an elder of thousands of years, drifted silently through the trees in search of his next meal. The being could become a bat; what self-respecting vampire couldn't? But he preferred to prowl in this form. After all these years and it hasn't changed since that day he was transformed. He changed his hairstyle and clothing based on the fashions of the current time, but his physical appearance was no different. His skin had turned deathly pale and remained that shade, unless he happened to get caught in the sunlight and burned. But that healed quickly. His hair was still the golden blonde it was when he was human. Still grew, strangely enough. Though progress was slow; he's pretty sure it's only grown about two inches in the past year. No matter.

He blinked his slitted eyes slowly as he heard rustling nearby. Slightly pointed ears twitched, and he turned as his hunger flared. A lost human? He hoped so. Deer blood was fine but it just didn't compare to the wonderful taste human blood carried.

He knew his irises would be red right now. That was the color they turned when he was hungry, and it was quite a dangerous state to approach a vampire in. Even the most disciplined, self-controlled vampire would have difficulty keeping from biting a human when like this. He needed to sate his hunger, and fast.

He floated through the trees toward the sound, inhaling deeply. The wind was not in his favor today; he couldn't catch a clear scent.

But the source of the rustling became apparent; a rabbit bounded out of the bushes, and he whipped toward it, about to chase it for a quick snack, but then another creature followed it out.

The vampire stared as a wolf with russet fur ran clumsily after the rabbit. Wait... there was something off about that wolf. Its limbs were too lanky, body shaped a bit different than usual. The muzzle was odd too. Longer than a normal wolf's. It was clearly young, though.

The rabbit managed to dive into its warren, the wolf right behind it. The beast followed in headfirst, but its shoulders got caught. It growled and thrashed, trying to dig in.

The vampire flew closer, now able to smell the creature. He tilted his head at the scent. He hasn't smelled this in a while. But he knew it, and now the wolf's odd appearance made sense. This wasn't a normal wolf. It had to be a werewolf.

"Hey, pup," he said gently.

The beast pulled its head back, sneezing and pawing at its nose; it had inhaled plenty of dirt.

"Can you speak?" the vampire asked.

The werewolf just looked at him with clever, dark brown eyes. Its pupils were wide, and he could see it salivating. He held out a hand so he could be sniffed. Immediately, the interest left the creature's face; it could tell this wasn't a human, despite the appearance. It returned to digging.

"My name is William," the vampire offered. "But you can call me Bill."

The werewolf didn't seem to have any interest in talking to him. Not many did when they were in their beast form.

"So, you from around here? You got a name? A gender? Something I can think of you as?" Bill prompted.

The creature pulled its head back and snorted at him, sniffing him again when he landed and knelt down next to it.

"Do you understand anything I'm saying?" Bill asked, annoyed.

The lycanthrope blinked. Okay, so it did have comprehension, if it focused.

"Okay. Are you a he? Or a she? Or some other pronoun that you can't indicate because you can't talk?"

He was met with a blank look.

Bill rethought his approach. "Wag your tail if you go by 'she'."

No tail movement.

"He?"

This time the tail flicked.

"Okay, so you're a he. Good, now I can stop thinking of you as an 'it.' Um... How old are you? Can you write it?"

The werewolf grumbled and stood, pawing at the ground. He scratched out a number into the dirt. 14.

"Wow! You look younger than that! But then again I don't meet a lot of werewolves. I always thought you guys couldn't communicate like this. Then again, without a human around, you're probably in control. You got a name, pup?"

The other tilted his head, and reached up to brush his paw across his forehead for a moment. Then he looked up at the sky, and pointed with his nose. His eyes were trained on a particular constellation.

"Hmm?" Bill looked up, back at the werewolf to confirm his line of sight, and looked at the stars. "Are you looking at the big dipper?"

There was a nod from the other, and Bill grinned with realization.

"Your name is Dipper?"

This time the werewolf seemed to smile, and he leapt forward, nuzzling against the other.

"Haha, okay! You can tell me your last name later, when you change back. But my last name is Cipher."

Dipper wagged his tail and turned to paw at the rabbit warren again, ears laying back now.

Bill moved to lean down next to it. "Here, let's make a deal. I'll catch the rabbit for you, but only if you leave some for me to drink the blood out of."

Dipper bounced, tail wagging in agreement.

"Okay, hold on." Bill was soon on his stomach, arm reaching deep into the hole. He couldn't reach to the end, and he huffed with annoyance. He snapped his fingers, and used magic to grab hold of the animal and pull it toward him. He sunk his sharp fingernails into the warm animal, and dragged it out screaming.

A rabbit's screams truly were one of the most horrible and pitiful noises an animal could make. Powerful legs kicked, lithe body twisting in Bill's hands as he held it tight. He held it out to Dipper, whose jaws immediately clamped down hard enough to sever the spine.

Bill let him have the rabbit after that, and the young werewolf ate messily, not caring that the animal was still twitching. It died quickly though, as Dipper's teeth sank into soft internal organs.

The smell of blood hit Bill. Thick, pungent. Not as sweet, coming from a non-human, but... his mouth watered nonetheless. He reached down to swipe some of the blood off the rabbit's fur, ignoring Dipper's territorial growl. Just a taste. He licked the blood from his fingers, closing his eyes as he savored it. It was satisfactory. And he wanted more.

But he waited until Dipper finished and backed off, before lifting the mangled corpse and twisting it harshly, tipping the gaping hole in it down so blood poured out. He caught it in his mouth, drinking quickly, though some still ran down his lips and face. He leaned forward so it wouldn't get on his clothes, instead burying his teeth in the still warm flesh and sucking out what he could.

It wasn't much. Not to a vampire. But it helped. It helped a lot.

Sighing in content, he tossed the rabbit aside and looked at Dipper. The werewolf was stretching, licking his chops and looking around. He came over to nose at Bill's hand, and the vampire ran it over his head, petting him gently. Dipper was only the size of an average grey wolf. Small for his species. An adult werewolf was nearly twice this size. But he had four years to go. Plenty of time to grow.

"You should hang out here. If you don't want to attack anyone," Bill suggested.

Dipper walked away, but only to sit down and begin howling at the moon. Bill chuckled and sat down against a pine tree to watch him. He loved listening to wolves. And werewolves had an extra quality to their howls that he especially enjoyed. There was so much power, so much passion, in those notes.

When Dipper was satisfied that he had taught the moon a lesson, he walked over to Bill. The vampire patted his leg, and the werewolf flopped down next to him, leaning close and yawning.

"You've had a busy night," Bill said, scratching behind the creature's ear. He wasn't sure why he was so intrigued by this youngster. But he liked him. He clearly had trouble hunting; he wasn't as plump as he should be. If it weren't for the fur, he was sure he would be able to see bones. So he made a vow right there that he would look out for him. Be his friend, one supernatural being to another. In these times, where creatures like them were rare and considered the stuff of fairy tales, they really needed to look out for each other.

Dipper leaned into Bill's scratching, resting his chin on his leg. His eyes were closed. At ease. Trusting of this creature that fed him.

"Rest," Bill told him, using a little bit of his dream weaving magic to lull the youngster to sleep. All vampires had a unique ability, and his was related to sleep. Ironic, considering that he didn't need to sleep at all. He only did it when he was bored, which wasn't often. But he could put others to sleep, and could see and influence their dreams as they slept. A useful ability.

But he didn't look into the wolflet's dream. He only let him sleep, and watched the stars in the sky, wondering what was to become of their relationship. He hoped, when the boy woke up as a human, that he would remember this.


	2. Chase

There was nothing more exhilarating than running through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging trees and leaping over rocks and logs with practiced ease. Years of exploring the woods have eliminated all clumsiness, and the being's reaction time was extremely developed.

Wind blowing through his hair, or fur. The scent of pine sap thick in his nose, hearing the startled cries of birds and other animals as he passed them, sometimes just barely audible over his deep, powerful breaths.

The occasional thrill of a chase if he happened upon a rabbit or deer.

Yes, whether he chose to run as man or wolf, Dipper always had the time of his life.

"You'll never catch me, Cipher!" he called as he ran, lungs already burning, but he wasn't stopping until he was caught.

"Ha! I'm letting you win!" Bill yelled gleefully from about twenty meters back.

"Sure you are!" Dipper spun so he was running backward, waving at the vampire pursuing him. This caused him to lose some speed, but he turned and ran forward again before the other could catch up.

"I can run twice as fast as this!" Bill boasted. "And if I was flying? I would have grabbed you several times by now!"

"Go ahead," Dipper challenged. "Fly."

Bill leapt forward, his magic taking hold and allowing him to soar through the air, arms outstretched as though they were wings. Now he sped up, quickly gaining on the werewolf.

Dipper broke into an all out sprint. But foot by foot, Bill was getting closer... time for a change of plan.

The man focused on that power that laid dormant in his blood. Usually only called on by moonlight, years of training has taught him how to activate it of his own free will. And he commanded that power to take hold.

Immediately, brown fur erupted down his body, clothes splitting off his already bulky body as layers of muscle expanded down his torso and limbs.

Bones cracked and shifted, face elongating; the process wasn't a pleasant one. But Dipper was used to it, and it wasn't near as bad when he chose to do it.

The transformation happened in seconds, and then he was slamming down onto huge front paws and taking off faster, his strong hind legs propelling him forward.

"Cheater!" Bill yelled as the massive wolf pulled away from him. His hand, which had been just about to grab a hold of the other's shirt, instead grasped air.

Dipper's ears were up as as he ran, tongue lolling out as he laughed silently. He couldn't talk while in this form, but with how close he was to Bill, he didn't need to. They understood each other just fine.

Bill growled. Vampires didn't get tired, exactly, but they still felt their own kind of exhaustion after using a lot of energy. And he was certainly using energy. Flying at this speed was a serious chore.

But he focused and sped up, and Dipper chose the wrong moment to turn and give him a wolfish grin. The werewolf's front paw went straight into a hole, and he tripped and went rolling across the ground. Surprised yelps escaped him as he bounced along, before coming to a stop upside-down, legs sprawled out and nose toward the sky.

His vision was soon filled by Bill's grinning face as the vampire floated over him.

"I win," Bill said, landing and kneeling behind his head. He playfully ruffled the fur on his cheeks.

Dipper snorted, blinking and looking quite miffed. But he continued laying on his back.

"Precious wolf," Bill said softly, rubbing more gently down the other's neck.

Dipper's tail wagged. Bill leaned over him to press a kiss to his lips. The younger smiled as he shifted back to his human form, allowing them to kiss much more easily.

"Only true love's kiss can break the spell," Dipper murmured.

Bill broke into laughter. "Shut up."

Dipper chuckled and reached an arm up to pull Bill's head back down, kissing him again. Bill rolled his eyes and allowed himself to be tugged down.

He soon shifted around so he was laying on top of Dipper, gently making out with him. The werewolf was so warm. It was so nice laying in his arms, that heat soaking into his cold skin. It wasn't something that bothered him, and in fact he liked how cooler temperatures were more tolerable to him now, but... he still loved lying with the warm creature.

Bill moved his hands down his partner's broad chest, over the fluffy hair that was so much like the fur his wolf form possessed. Then he moved his hands out, stroking over large biceps and down Dipper's arms. Also quite hairy... honestly, everything about his appearance just screamed "werewolf!" Luckily, true humans were usually blissfully ignorant.

Dipper was twenty years old. It has been six years since they first met, and what a wonderful six years it has been. Bill had quickly grown fond of the spunky werewolf, proud of how quickly he learned to hunt under his instruction. That morning when Bill saw his human form for the first time was a day he'll never forget.

Bill had let the wolf sleep curled up against him, lost in thought and entertaining ideas of how he would teach him what being a supernatural being was all about. And he had stayed with him until the Sun began to rise, its warm rays having different effects on each of them. Bill had hissed and whispered a quick spell to shield his skin, which could take being slashed by the sharpest knives without getting nicked, yet boiled in direct sunlight. But after millennia of it, he was quite used to burns. It was no big deal when he was skilled enough in magic to protect himself.

Dipper, meanwhile, was transformed as the sunlight fell across his dozing form. He had whimpered softly as bones cracked and reshaped, fur receding, body taking on a human appearance. He was lanky and looked sickly, young face lined with far more stress than any child should have.

Clothes had returned, in torn shreds that hung loosely off him, but it covered him up well enough. He had groaned and slipped away from Bill, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes as he opened them, a resigned sigh escaping him. Then he had lifted curious brown eyes to Bill, and immediately yelped and scrambled back.

"S-sorry, did I... did I attack you?" he had asked, shaking and looking ready to cry.

Bill had quickly gotten onto his knees, reaching to cup the other's face gently with both hands and caress his cheeks, trying to calm him down. The boy had gone rigid in shock at how cold the other's hands were.

"No, you didn't attack me," Bill had assured him. "Do you remember meeting me last night?"

"I... I don't know, I... usually can't remember what I do on full moons..." Dipper had visibly trembled as he spoke. "Oh God, you won't tell anyone what I am, will you?"

"Course not." Bill had eased him with soothing words and gentle touches, before saying, "It's common courtesy for a humanoid supernatural creature not to blow another's cover. I won't tell anyone."

Dipper's curiosity had piqued then. "Wait. Are you supernatural?"

Bill had grinned, showing his fangs. "You could say that."

Dipper's face had just lit up with excitement. "A vampire! Wow, I've never met one of you before! You are real!"

"Yep, we exist, we usually just keep to ourselves though."

"You aren't gonna bite me, are you?"

"Nah. You aren't human, but you're also not exactly beast. You'd have a weird flavor and I'm not interested."

"Oh. Well... how did we meet?"

"I ran across you while you were hunting and decided to help you out. We shared the kill. You don't remember?"

Dipper had shrugged. "Everything is blurry... I remember chasing a rabbit... not much more."

"Unfortunate. Well, we did some bonding."

They had spent nearly an hour just talking under the welcome shade of the pine trees, and Dipper had told him how he became a werewolf, very recently in fact, after an excursion in the woods went horribly wrong. He had showed Bill the permanent scarring on his arm from when he was bitten. And he was still scared every night he had to transform, and would get as far into the woods as he could to make sure he couldn't attack anyone.

Bill had noticed his general sickliness and had gotten the boy to admit that he tended not to eat much out of stress, and he slept badly too. He was still hiding the truth about what he was. Only his twin sister knew.

So Bill had informed him that he would be his mentor and look after him, make sure he ate and slept right. Be the friend he needed as he entered into the sometimes frightful world of the supernatural.

Dipper had happily accepted. They had become close friends, finding that they shared a mutual love of knowledge. They both loved reading, and when the school year started and Dipper talked his parents into letting him stay in Gravity Falls, they would study together.

The werewolf had grown confident in himself, learning how to hunt and fight, even how to control himself better even on the full moon, and trained his mind to be able to recall the things he did.

By sixteen he was easily hunting deer and wild pigs. At seventeen he had a growth spurt that translated wonderfully into his wolf form, making him nearly four tall at the top of his shoulders, and all muscle.

And the boy definitely got muscle. Large meals and strength training filled out his lanky form, giving him thick arms and a toned torso, though no matter what he still kept quite a gut. He was still self-conscious about it at times, but Bill assured him he looked great. It was a healthy form for his kind.

Dipper was eighteen when he kissed Bill for the first time, in an impulsive act of emotion after a particularly bad full moon and the vampire had soothed him and told him how wonderful he was, and he had just gone for it.

And Bill had kissed back.

He was nineteen when they first made love underneath a bright crescent moon, the soft grass under their bodies and the tall evergreen trees above, and neither of them could even glance at each other without giggling and blushing for several days after. Or at least, Dipper would blush; Bill had no ability to do so.

And ever since, the two have been inseparable, so much in love that they couldn't imagine being apart.

Bill hummed as he pulled himself out of his thoughts, kissing his partner's strong jaw. "So what else are we going to do today?" he asked.

Dipper shrugged, gazing up at the trees. "I dunno."

"We could hunt. I'm feeling a bit peckish."

Dipper looked at his partner's eyes. Nope, still bright gold. "Really?"

"Yeah... just a bit. Maybe we could catch something small."

Dipper sat up, easily lifting the shorter being and setting him down in the grass. "Okay, hold on." He bounded off, transforming on the run.

Bill got up and ran after him, but they didn't go far before Dipper was sprinting and catching a fat squirrel in his mouth.

He crushed the life out of it as he turned to Bill, and pressed the carcass into his hand. Bill chuckled as he took it. "Wow. Thanks."

Dipper just wagged his tail, sitting down and surveying the area. There didn't seem to be any danger, but he elected to stay like this for a few more moments.

Bill had the squirrel drained of its blood in seconds. He tossed it to Dipper, who snapped up the entire body. Fur, bones, guts and all. He took some time chewing it, savoring how the bones snapped inside that frail form, how skin split and allowed organs to squirt out into his mouth. The texture took some getting used to at first, but by now, he loved it.

He swallowed and grinned at Bill, getting up on his hind legs and resting his paws on the other's chest. This put him well at face height, and Bill's brows furrowed.

"Don't you dare," Bill warned.

Dipper licked his mouth and then the rest of his face, and Bill sputtered and tried to shove him off, gagging.

"Your breath smells disgusting!"

Dipper changed back so he could laugh. "You know you love me," he teased.

"You make it hard to remember why sometimes," Bill shot back, wiping his face off.

Dipper wrapped his arms around him, swinging him around. The vampire was so light. Not to mention, skinny. Dipper was surprised sometimes when he hugged him and it didn't just snap him like a twig. He looked more fragile than he really was.

But vampires were supposed to look innocent. They were confident and attractive and people felt compelled to trust them. And that's when the fangs came out.

Dipper's sister had been hopelessly enamored with Bill at first, but once Dipper pointed out his age and the fact that he was a vampire, she had backed down and decided to take her chances with mortal humans instead.

It had taken so much self control for Bill not to take advantage of her attraction for a quick bite, but Dipper didn't like him feeding on humans, so he wouldn't.

That was probably the hardest part about their relationship. Bill having to give up human blood. Dipper insisted on only hunting wild animals, so Bill had to sate his hunger on those. He hasn't tasted human blood in nearly five years. And it was hell. He thought it would get easier over time, but no... he still craved it. He salivated just walking with Dipper in public, able to smell the blood of passing humans, hearing their heartbeats...

But Dipper's hand would squeeze his, and he would smile at him, and he'd be able to get through it. Attacking humans was wrong. Bill could survive just fine on non-human blood. But it was hard doing it.

Dipper placed Bill down on his feet and gave him a kiss, and despite the lingering smell of squirrel guts, he kissed back.

"Full moon tomorrow night," Bill reminded him softly. "You ready?"

Dipper nodded. "Yeah. It'll be fine."

"So you're gonna skip that party Pacifica invited you to?"

Dipper hesitated.

"Dipper," Bill scolded.

"She's been really excited about hosting this party and she delivered my invitation personally, I have to go."

Bill clicked his tongue with disapproval. "It would be very risky. Even if you're inside, the moon will change you. You'll only be able to stay for about an hour, at most. I'll watch the time for you."

Dipper nodded, and brushed some hair behind one of Bill's ears. "Don't worry, I won't go postal on the party guests. I can feel when the transformation is coming. I'll get out in time." He kissed Bill's forehead.

"All right. You can watch after yourself, I just worry sometimes." Bill chewed on his lip, then his expression brightened. "But we can still have a good time! Dressed up in formal clothes, dancing, eating those expensive little appetizers... Drinking wine..."

"I'm not twenty-one yet."

"Psh. You break the law regularly by killing deer without a permit, and you're worried about getting in trouble for drinking? No one's gonna squeal on ya. And maybe if you get a good buzz going, the transformation won't hurt as much."

"Maybe." Dipper considered it, then nodded. "A little wine, then," he decided.

"Atta boy. That's my Pine Tree." Bill ruffled his hair. The nickname was based off two things. Dipper's last name, Pines, was the main one. And also, Dipper loved the pine trees of the forest, would sleep under them as a wolf, and no matter which form he was in, he would always admire them. So Bill called him Pine Tree. It was also fitting with Dipper's tall, sturdy build. Just all around a good nickname, though when he felt like being affectionate, he would often use sapling.

Dipper glanced up as he noticed it getting darker out, and slid an arm around Bill. "We should head home."

"All right." Bill liked being out at night, and probably will go for a flight once Dipper was asleep, but he would certainly walk with him back to the Mystery Shack, which they owned and operated during the day Monday through Friday. Grunkle Stan had left it to them and cheerfully retired to Vegas. He was doing well, according to his frequent colorful postcards.

When they reached the house, Bill was prepared to kiss his partner and take off for a flight, as was common for him to do. But Dipper was full of energy, emboldened by the waxing moon, and he grabbed Bill's hand and pulled him into the house, giving him that smirk that made the vampire's knees weak and a pleasant warmth (the only type his body seemed to produce anymore) grow in his stomach. He grinned back and followed him to the bedroom eagerly, deciding that he could go for a flight some other night.


	3. Lazy Day

Saturday morning came and went with the couple making no attempt to get out of bed. Bill was sluggish during the day, and while he didn't need sleep, he still liked to do it during the day.

And since it was the weekend and they had no pressing responsibilities, Dipper was happy to continue dozing, all curled up around his partner, arms around him and keeping him pressed against his much larger frame.

Bill had to admit, it made him feel safe being in the grip of such a large, strong werewolf. Nothing could hurt him here.

He rested his head under Dipper's chin as he reflected on last night. The man sure had a lot of energy... he shifted a bit, chuckling under his breath. They were still naked, and nothing was better than that raw intimacy of just cuddling naked with a trusted partner. Feeling the tingle of their skin together. And while Bill didn't have his own, he could hear Dipper's heartbeat clearly, and somehow, it was soothing. And it also made him kinda hungry. He was looking forward to tonight, when they could hunt down a deer together like they did monthly.

Bill opened his mind to watch Dipper's dream. The other was dreaming of flying. Something he expressed often that he wanted to do, if only he was a vampire. The dream was also full of random other things that made no sense from his perspective, but that was typical. Dipper was having fun despite the weird trees and out of place objects he passed, and that's what counted.

It was nearly eleven AM when Dipper finally decided to be more active, stretching out his limbs and yawning. Bill grunted as he lost the touch of those warm arms, but he couldn't be annoyed. Especially when the man looked down at him and smiled, lazily nuzzling him. They softly traded kisses for a few moments, until the werewolf had woken up more, and he grinned.

"All right, shower and lunch!" he said cheerfully, getting up. Bill growled this time, every vampire instinct telling him to crawl under the covers and sleep until sunset, but he forced himself up anyway. He followed the other into the bathroom, joining him in the shower.

One round of shower sex later and he was considerably more awake and energetic, clinging to his partner and laughing as the taller creature poured shampoo into his hair and washed it for him. In response, he began scrubbing at Dipper’s hair too. They spent several more minutes just cleaning each other, before finally rinsing off and getting out.

Once dried off, they took care of some personal hygiene before returning to their room to actually get dressed. Since they were the only two living here (Mabel had moved out about a year ago), they frequently walked between rooms naked. They were really only getting dressed now because they had learned the hard way that cooking without clothing could lead to… unfortunate burns.

Not that Bill had much to worry about, but Dipper’s skin (while human at least) wasn’t quite as tough.

No, best to just keep at least some clothes on during the day.

They dressed simply, in jeans and t-shirts, but neither bothered with socks. They weren’t going anywhere until the party at the Northwest Mansion tonight. Today would be very relaxed, as it usually was before Dipper had to endure a forced transformation. He was usually very stressed after changing back, and being able to look back on calm moments like this helped him. After all these years it still wasn’t exactly easy being a werewolf. The strength was a nice perk, as was his inexplicable night vision, but he wasn’t sure it made up for the painful transformation and the uncontrollable urge to seek out humans and maul them to create more werewolves.

Though he has gotten better with that. When he was roaming under a full moon, alone out in the woods, he usually had a pretty clear mind. He could remember who he was, and control everything he did. If he caught the scent of a human, usually a hiker or camper, he was able to force himself to turn away from the scent and run. And he would run until he couldn’t smell it anymore.

Bill figured as long as he didn’t run directly into a human, thus laying eyes on them, he would be fine. And a werewolf’s sense of smell was excellent; he wouldn’t run into a human without meaning to.

So Dipper usually got through a full moon with little trouble during the actual wolf part, it was just the change back that hurt him, usually leaving him with incredibly sore limbs, skin burning as though it had been torn all over. He was incredibly thankful to have Bill by his side throughout all of it. The vampire would always hold him afterward, comfort him and reassure him that he didn’t attack anyone (though he could remember things, it was usually blurry and a few portions were missing altogether), and once he was calmed down, he would be handed fresh clothes and would walk back to the Mystery Shack with his partner.

And that’s how things would be going today, and Dipper was still nervous. He fiddled with his shirt a bit. Would he be able to get out of his formal clothes in time? He really didn’t want to rip the suit Bill had paid for…

“You’ll be fine, just like always,” Bill assured him, steering him into a seat in front of the kitchen table and going to get some food out of the cabinet. “How about something simple but tasty, hm? How about beef ramen noodles?”

“Sounds great,” Dipper replied. He started to get up, but Bill waved a fork at him.

“I’ve got it. You can just relax.”

Dipper huffed. “Bill, please. I’m not fourteen anymore, you don’t have to babysit me.”

“I’m just looking out for you. But okay, do whatever you want.” Bill took out a pot to fill with water, smiling when he heard Dipper grumble but make no move to get up.

“You think we should tell Pacifica about this?” Dipper asked. “You know, the whole werewolf thing? That way, next time Mabel tries to talk her out of inviting me to a ‘moonlit ball’, she’ll actually listen?”

“You could,” Bill replied. “She does know I’m a vampire, dunno what makes her think you’re still pure human, though.”

“Most logical people aren’t gonna assume their old friend is a werewolf just because they’re big and hairy. I mean, plenty of guys have bodies like this, and not all of them are werewolves.”

“You’d be surprised. But hey, it’s up to you. I think you should tell her just to avoid this kind of situation in the future.” Bill set the pot on the stove and turned up the heat, watching as it slowly began to boil.

“Yeah… I’ll think about it tonight.” Dipper got up, but only to go get a drink. “You want a drink?”

“I’ll take a root beer,” Bill replied, idly stirring the water around.

Dipper grabbed a root beer and a Pitt Cola, bringing them to the table and sitting down. He waited patiently as Bill opened the packets of ramen, broke up the noodles a bit, and threw them in. They didn’t take long to cook, and once they were soft, Bill took the pot over to the sink to dump out the excess water. Neither of them liked their ramen too runny. They kept just enough to adequately mix the flavor packets into.

Bill returned to the stove, turning it off and setting the pot down on a cold burner while he poured the flavor in. He stirred it around, inhaled deeply, and grinned. “Done.” He took down bowls to pour the ramen into, grabbed two forks, and brought the food over to the table.

Dipper accepted his and began eating ravenously. It seemed like he always had an appetite. One time he entered a hot dog eating contest for giggles. And had walked away nauseous and wearing a medal, only to still eat dinner later that day. Really, he could probably just eat forever if he wanted to.

All part of being a werewolf, Bill had assured him years ago when he started gaining weight. The boy had anxiously poked at his gut, squeezing the fat between his fingers, not sure what to make of it. He knew that the bigger kids in school were always getting made fun of, and didn’t want that to happen to him. It was bad enough dealing with being called a weirdo and a freak for being into the supernatural, and the snide remarks he got just because he was smart, and how many people threatened to beat him up or shove him into lockers. Luckily no one ever went to those lengths, and once he started bulking up, people began to back down. Yet the weight gain had made him uncomfortable, and Bill had lovingly assured him that it was fine, telling him that it was natural, and nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should Dipper feel bad about how much he ate. Food was delicious, and if he could eat more, then more power to him.

It had really made Dipper feel much better, and now he was pretty accepting of how he looked. Every once in awhile he would get on a scale and frown; he wasn’t really gaining anymore, but he definitely wasn’t losing it. But then he would shrug and go to Bill, who would hug him and tell him how good he looks, stroking his sides and stomach, kissing the skin until Dipper laughs. And then the vampire would remind him of his strength, his pride, his confidence, his intelligence; all the little things that made up his personality, who he was, which was far more important than a number on a scale.

Bill really was the best motivator.

Dipper was done with his bowl before Bill was even halfway done with his. He pushed it aside and grabbed his soda to wash it down with. With a smile at his partner, who jokingly rolled his eyes, Dipper got up and took his bowl over to the sink, tossing it in. Then he picked up the entire pot and carried it back to the table, eating straight from it.

Noticing Bill staring at him, he paused and asked, “Did you want seconds?”

Bill laughed and shook his head. “No thank you. You know I’m only eating this so you don’t feel awkward.” Food like this was literally useless to him. His body didn’t get anything out of it. The only substance that gave him energy was blood. And the meat and other parts that blood was inside of. These noodles? Useless. They didn’t even taste as good as they would if he was human. Everything seemed bland now. A few things with rich flavors still tasted good, like chocolate, but stuff like this? Meh.

But he finished his bowl, because he liked to share meals with Dipper. They couldn’t eat animals all the time, so he was fine with this more domestic meal. He just wasn’t going to eat much, was all. Which left more for his ravenous werewolf.

Dipper took only a few minutes to finish off the pot, but it gave Bill enough time to knock back the rest of his soda. He did like how soda tasted. Very sugary and strong, way better than any beverage that existed when he was human. He loved wine back then, though. He still loved wine. And newer types of alcoholic beverages… he had a soft spot for margaritas. It was just too bad he couldn’t seem to get drunk.

They cleaned up the kitchen and retired to the living room to play a video game, and after going back and forth beating each other on the fighter game, they took it out and put on a movie. They ended up just watching movies while cuddling on the couch, Dipper spooning Bill with his arms linked around his middle, occasionally tilting his head to kiss his partner’s neck and whisper compliments into his ear.

Bill chuckled at each little kiss, almost feeling heat in his cheeks despite being unable to blush. He still didn’t fully understand how his undead body worked. No pulse, no heartbeat, no breathing… he didn’t even sweat. Yet he could salivate, and he could cry. And when getting intimate, certainly _parts_ so to speak still functioned, so… he really wasn’t sure. But it really didn’t matter. He was just going to go with the age old excuse of “magic.”

They watched movies until it came time for them to get ready for the party. Dipper dressed into the midnight blue trousers and blazer Bill had ordered for him, a tan collared shirt underneath it, and he carefully put on a black tie dotted with stars. Featuring, most notably, the big dipper.

Once the suit was on, he slipped into some brown loafers and began running his fingers through his hair, straightening it out a bit. His fingers touched his hairband, and after a moment of hesitation, he pulled it out. The short ponytail fell apart, and he put the band down on his desk, using the reflective screen of his laptop to look at his hair. It reached his shoulders, curling off in random directions at the bottom. He frowned as he tugged on it, before picking up the band again, deciding that maybe he would look better with the ponytail.

But before he could tie it back on, Bill came in with a graceful spin, and Dipper immediately dropped the band. His mouth gaped open slightly as he looked the vampire over.

Sleek, well-fitted black trousers, a white collared shirt, a black bow tie, and a shiny golden waistcoat with a short tail out the back of it. The ends of his sleeves were held together with bronze buttons shaped like triangles. Quirky but oddly fitting. And his blonde hair, which usually covered one eye, was slicked back. It was still parted on the left side of his head, but now everything was back and tucked behind his ears, and both of his beautiful eyes were visible. And they were both on Dipper as he entered, his shiny black dress shoes tip tapping gracefully across the floor as he all but waltzed to his partner.

Then he took Dipper by the hand and pulled him into a quick dance, and Dipper grinned as he realized Bill was trying to swing dance with him. The vampire had taken a liking to the routine back in the twentieth century, and had taught it to Dipper shortly after meeting him. They danced to swing regularly now.

There was no music, so they didn’t dance for long. They soon separated, and Dipper laughed as he admired the other. “Wow, you look awesome!”

“ So do you,” Bill replied, checking Dipper out. He nodded in approval, and placed his hands on Dipper’s shoulders to smooth out some wrinkles. “How does this feel on your shoulders? Too tight?”

“Nah, it’s good.”

“What about your stomach? Can you breathe? And the legs of your pants might be a bit too narrow as well, I really should have gotten more specific measurements-”

Dipper cut him off with a kiss, and when he leaned back, he continued to hold Bill’s face in his hands. “It fits well,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

Bill blinked, and shifted. “Well. All right then.” He pressed slightly into the touch, and then backed away. “It’s a bit early, but we might as well go now. I have a change of clothes for you in a backpack that I’ll leave in the car, all right?”

“All right. Hopefully I’ll be able to get out of this stuff before I rip it.” Dipper tugged on one of his buttons.

“Hopefully. But we can always replace stuff.” Bill waited for Dipper to grab his keys and wallet, and then held his arm out to him. “Shall we go, my love?”

“Very well, my darling,” Dipper replied, taking his arm as they walked out. He could only keep a straight face for about five seconds before he burst into laughter.

“You’re so corny,” Bill said.

“Not as corny as you.”

“You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

“Well you’re the one that fell in love with me.”

“You are so precious, how could I not? Good-looking _and_ intelligent, and with such personality!”

Dipper was blushing already. He usually did at Bill’s compliments. “Aw, stop it.”

“ No, you stop it.” Bill playfully slapped his shoulder, and then stopped when they reached the bathroom. “Oh, hold on.” He went in, and then came back out with two pills, handing them to Dipper. “Aspirin.”

“Oh, awesome! Thanks.” He ducked into the bathroom for some water to swallow them with. He had discovered that taking painkiller before a transformation made the process easier. Not much, but he took any additional comfort he could. Once the pills were down, he continued with Bill to the stairs. As they passed through the living room, Bill grabbed a backpack that was sitting on the couch. And once they were in the car, it was set in the backseat.

The trip to the Northwest Mansion didn’t take long. And it was only about seven-thirty when they got there. Plenty of time to socialize before sunset.

When they reached the gate, they were immediately recognized and waved on through, so they got to park fairly close to the mansion. By the time they got out, Mabel was hurrying down the steps, holding her frilly dress up so she wouldn’t trip. It was multiple shades of pink, blue, and purple and filled with sequins, and it fit her perfectly.

“You made it!” she said, throwing her arms around Bill for a quick hug. Then she turned to Dipper and hugged him more tightly. As she did, she muttered in his ear, “What are you doing here? There’s gonna be a full moon tonight.”

“I couldn’t just refuse a personal invitation from Pacifica,” Dipper replied. “She’s like my sister-in-law.”

“Except she isn’t.”

“Not yet.”

Mabel blushed and let go of him. “Will you be okay tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ll just leave early, say I feel sick or something. I’ll apologize to Pacifica and everything, and just try to make the next one.”

Mabel nodded. “Okay. We could go out to dinner or something.” She gave Bill a more polite smile. “Hey, how are you doing?”

He smiled back. “Great.”

Her eyes lingered on his mouth for a moment too long; eyeing his fangs. “You are okay in crowds, right?”

“Absolutely. I have very good self control, I won’t bite anyone.”

“Okay. Well, come on guys, let’s go inside!” Mabel slipped her arms around both of their waists as she led them inside. They weren’t the first guests to arrive, but they were definitely pretty early. There were only a few other people milling about, mostly talking to Pacifica and her parents.

The young woman immediately pulled away when Mabel entered, though. “Hey, guys!” she called, hurrying over. She was wearing a quite slimming green dress that had a long slit up its side. Sleeveless, and around her neck was a diamond necklace. Also those were two inch heels she was running toward them in with seemingly no issue and goddamn Dipper felt slightly intimidated.

“Pacifica, great to see you!” he greeted, moving forward to accept her hug. He lifted her off the ground as he did, and she laughed, quickly grabbing his neck so she wouldn’t slip down.

“You just keep getting taller!” she exclaimed as he gently set her down. She brushed her hair out of her face and looked him over. “Wow, you look great in this suit. Ooh, the color combination is very nice… did Bill put it together?”

“Yeah,” Dipper admitted.

She snickered. “Thought so. Your color matching skills leave a bit to be desired. And Bill, honey.” She swept past him to greet Bill, taking his hand in both of hers. “You look simply dapper, as always.”

“Thank you, my lady.” He tipped his head and lifted her hand, kissing the back of it. “I really like your dress. That shade of green goes so well with your complexion. And your silver heels compliment it perfectly.”

She beamed. “Thanks Bill, you have such a great eye for fashion.”

“I’ve had a long time to learn,” he replied.

“Indeed you have. Well, our string quartet won’t be playing for a few more minutes, so why don’t you guys come talk to my parents, and then maybe get some hors d'oeuvres? If you’re hungry, that is.” She said this with a teasing look toward Dipper. Though she didn’t know he was a werewolf, she did know all about his appetite from several meals with him.

“Maybe I will,” he shot back.

As they walked over to Pacifica’s parents, Dipper couldn’t help but check his watch. He could probably get in two hours here… and then he would have to flee. But in the meantime, he planned to enjoy himself. It wasn’t every day one got to go to a Northwest party, after all.


	4. Getaway

The party was soon filled with guests, all of varying social class but all wearing the most lovely outfits they could find, and Pacifica made sure she sought out every single person to compliment their appearance. Her parents, meanwhile, looked upon the lower class guests with barely concealed disdain. It was only because of their daughter that they were even allowing such a variety to attend.

As the string quartet played, couples soon came together to dance, and Bill took Dipper's hand to waltz with him. They were quite a sight, the large man with his long curly hair swinging about, and the shorter, lean man with an immaculate style and dazzling grin. The guests that weren't dancing took to watching them, awed by how easily they followed each other around on the dance floor, their rhythm flawless. Their size difference hardly seemed to affect their coordination.

After about three songs, Bill pulled away and went over to speak to the quartet for a few moments. When he walked away, the four exchanged eager smiles, and their stances shifted, becoming more carefree as they started up a much faster tune. It was quite jazzy, reminding Dipper of swing, though without any brass instruments it wasn't quite the same.

“This is called Minor Swing,” Bill said as he returned and took Dipper's hand. “We can still swing dance to it, if you want.”

Dipper smiled and accepted, joining him in the energetic dance.

The song only lasted a few minutes, but that was fine; when they were done, Dipper needed to take a break. He and Bill slipped away from the other dancers, nodding in acknowledgment as others applauded for them. They went over to the beverage table, and Bill poured a glass of red wine and offered it to Dipper.

The man hesitated, glancing around.

“No one's gonna care,” Bill assured him. “The only people who really know your age are Mabel and Pacifica, and they're busy dancing. And neither of them will tell anyone.”

Dipper nodded and accepted the drink, sipping it. The taste was sweet yet bitter, and he cringed a bit at how strong it was.

“It takes some getting used to,” Bill said as he poured his own glass and took a drink.

Dipper tried it again. Wasn't quite as bad this time. He was soon able to ignore the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness of it. It was quite a fine drink, he supposed. This bottle alone was probably worth more than a hundred dollars.

When they were done with their drinks, they set the glasses down with the other dirty ones and returned to the dance floor. They ended up spending most of their time dancing, only occasionally pausing to go talk to Mabel and Pacifica, or a few of the other guests.

As eight-thirty came around, Dipper could feel the energy in his blood, the itchiness across his skin that always came before he transformed. He shifted uneasily, tugging on his collar a bit and deciding that he should probably go. He probably had about twenty minutes. Plenty of time to flee, get deep into the woods, and throw off this outfit.

Bill noticed his unease and leaned over to him, muttering, “Do you want to go?”

Dipper nodded. “Yes, absolutely.” He went to find Pacifica, and he must have already been looking pained, because she immediately looked concerned.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Sorry, I feel really feverish,” he confessed. “I think I'm getting sick with something, I should go home and lay down.”

“Wow, yeah, you look sweaty and your pupils are all shrunk... you should definitely get some rest, take some medicine or something.” She reached up to press the back of her hand to his head. “You're pretty warm...”

“Yeah.” He leaned back. He was already feeling that wolfish aggression, the urge to bite. And he wasn't even changed yet. “Thanks for the party. I'll call you or Mabel when I start feeling better.”

“Okay. Have a safe trip, and thanks for coming.” She gave him a quick hug.

He went to find Mabel after that, but she didn't need any explanation. She just hugged him tightly and said, “Good luck, stay safe.”

“I will,” Dipper replied as he rested his face against her shoulder. She was almost as tall as him. If it weren't for his werewolf blood, he was sure they would be the same height. “I've got Bill.”

Mabel smiled as she let go of him, going to hug Bill. “Take good care of him. He needs you out there.”

“Ah, my wolfy can take good care of himself,” Bill chuckled. “But I'll look out for him anyway.”

Dipper's skin was beginning to crawl. He had a pleasant buzz from the alcohol, so it didn't seem so bad, but he knew what was coming. “Okay, well, gotta go.” He hurried toward the door.

“You can take off and I'll take the car back home,” Bill said as he hurried along with him. “And then I'll meet you in our spot. Got it?”

Dipper nodded, stomach churning. “Got it.”

But before they could reach the door, Preston caught sight of them and paused in front of them. Out of respect, they stopped.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked.

“Y-yeah, sorry Mr. Northwest, but I'm not feeling too good,” Dipper replied, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. “I think I'm getting sick.”

“Ah, that's unfortunate. I hope it's not because of any of our food, I don't want to have to deal with a lawsuit.”

“I wouldn't sue over something that ridiculous.”

“Maybe you wouldn't, but others might.”

“I'm pretty sure it's not the food, I was already feeling bad earlier.” Dipper shot glances out one of the windows. It was getting dark out.

“Is that so? Maybe you should have stayed home, rather than risking getting other people sick.”

Dipper growled. “I have no time to listen to your condescending remarks today. I need to get home.”

“I'd keep walking if I were you,” Bill warned.

Preston eyed them for a few moments, then shook his head and kept going. “I'll never understand the company my daughter keeps...”

Dipper was immediately shoving through the doors, breaking into a sprint toward the car. He jumped into the back and began discarding clothes, throwing the tie and blazer carelessly onto the seat, shoes kicked off onto the floor. He struggled out of the pants, and threw off the shirt. Bill stood in front of the door, looking around to make sure no one was watching.

As soon as Dipper had thrown on the old shorts and shirt that were in the backpack, he was bursting back out of the car, and Bill grabbed his face, pulling him close as he could see him start to pant, eyes widening. “Okay, look. You're good, you have time. Run. Run and don't look back. You'll be okay. I'm sorry I can't join you for this transformation but it'll be too suspicious if I leave the car here. Just think of me, and it'll be okay. You'll get through it. Now go.” He kissed his nose, and then gave him an encouraging slap on the back.

Dipper ran for the gate, and in seconds was outside the wall, running down the road. The mansion was situated on a hill with fairly steep drop-offs, and running down those was far too dangerous. He waited until he was far enough down that the slope became more gentle, and then lunged off the road and allowed himself to roll down the rest of the way. It didn't really hurt. Not now, not with the adrenaline in his body. He scrambled to his feet and darted into the comforting shade of the trees. He could feel the moonlight begin to envelop him. Could feel his skin twitching and muscles jumping as he held off the change for as long as he could.

He ran, heart thudding in his chest, bare feet occasionally landing on twigs and rocks that sent jolts up his legs, but again, he was able to ignore it. His sense of direction was on point, though. He easily figured out which way to go despite this being a more unfamiliar part of the woods, and was soon making a direct path toward where he usually meets Bill.

Then the pain struck his body. It was enough to bring him to his knees, and he groaned as his hands slammed down onto the ground, already shifting. Fingers shortening into toes, growing sharp claws. Bones reshaping.

He tore at his shirt as it constricted his chest, but the article soon disappeared as fur cascaded down his body. He whined as he struggled to keep moving, though his changing bone structure was making that extremely difficult. He wished he had Bill here. Bill would hold him and whisper to him and make things better. But it wasn't his first time having to do it alone, so he grit his teeth and tolerated it. He could feel his ears standing up once they were done changing, and he flicked them around, making sure no one was nearby. He heard nothing, and when he inhaled deeply, he couldn't smell anything even remotely human. Good.

Dipper began moving more quickly as the transformation finished, able to breathe more easily now, blinking tears of pain out of his eyes. There were a few more pops from various bones, and a particularly bad jolt of pain as his spine elongated into a tail, but he didn't look back at it. He could feel when it was fully formed, and he took a moment to pause and howl loudly at the moon, venting all his frustration at it. His thoughts had gone hazy, the werewolf instincts kicking in, but since he was alone, he was able to remember who he was well enough. He could remember the party he had just left, and part of him wanted to turn back around and go back. Plenty of humans there to bite. To transform.

No. He forced himself to ignore the temptation, running again. Much faster than when he was human. Had to get to that secret spot. Had to meet his partner. Even his wolf side was pleased at the prospect. Vampires were good hunting partners. The two species got along better than most.

As the lingering pain faded from his body, Dipper began to enjoy himself as he usually did. This form was so powerful, so fast, he felt unstoppable. Like he could do whatever he want. He was the king of the forest. All other creatures quivered before him when he passed. If he was feeling merciful, he would let them live. If his hunger struck, well... he would pursue them.

And he was certainly hungry. But first things first. He had to meet up with Bill.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the clearing in the woods that had become their secret spot. It was a nice little area about thirty feet in diameter, ringed with trees, and there was a uniquely shaped rock that they used to identify it. This was actually where they shared their first kiss. Hell... this was where they first made love.

Dipper felt his thoughts calm as he padded softly across the grass. He lowered his head, sniffing the air. He could almost smell Bill's scent here. As well as his own. They've been here so many times over the years.

Right now, he might as well have been willingly transformed. He was completely himself, and he told himself that this would be a good night. He laid down against the rock, stretching out and looking up at the stars that were rapidly becoming visible. And of course, he looked over at the moon. He kinda wanted to howl at it. But he resisted. He kneaded his claws into the grass as he waited for Bill, ears up and listening intently. The vampire could be very quiet, but he was good at tracking him. He was confident that he would know when he arrived.

As usual, Dipper tested whether or not he could will himself to change back. And as usual, nothing happened. It was like he was just glued into the form. As long as that full moon was shining, he could not deactivate the magical energy that was forcing him to be like this. He snorted and decided to try something else. Speaking. It would be extremely helpful if he could speak like this, and he always tried. All his throat could produce were barks and growls. He could whine, he could make a rumble in his chest, and he could definitely howl. But actual words? Impossible. His throat just couldn't do it.

Still, trying to do it helped keep him grounded. Reminded him that he wasn't a monster, that he was still mostly human, and he was in control here.

After several minutes, he heard leaves rustle. His nose was pointed toward the sound in a second, ears forward. He stared intently. Then the back of his head tingled, and he turned just in time for a large bat to land on his snout.

He scurried onto his feet, grinning as he recognized the furry creature with black fur and intelligent gold eyes. The bat took off again, flying around his head a few times before giving a spin and transforming.

Bill landed on his feet in front of Dipper, and the werewolf jumped up to put his paws on his shoulders, licking his face.

“Hey, pup!” Bill laughed, rubbing behind his ears. “How do you feel?”

Dipper wagged his tail eagerly. Great, now that his lover was here. It amused him sometimes, how dog-like he could be. But Bill found it endearing, so he didn't mind that his instincts urged him to behave this way.

“Great! Hey, you ready to hunt?”

Dipper thudded back down onto all fours, giving a nod.

Bill leapt onto his back, hands grabbing hold of the fur on the back of his neck. “Excellent, well what are we waiting for? Let's go bag ourselves a big one!”

Dipper reared back onto his hind legs, giving an energetic howl before bounding forward and taking off into the trees, his partner's laughter echoing in his ears and filling his heart with glee. This was going to be a fun hunt. He could feel it already.


	5. Hunting

They traveled together for nearly an hour without catching the scent of a deer. Not even once.

“Where are they?” Bill asked in confusion. Usually they found them by now. Or at least had the scent of one and were currently tracking it. But so far, they've only been able to find smaller animals. Rabbits and squirrels, which Dipper ignored. They were mere snacks to a being his size.

Dipper lifted a shoulder in a shrug, stopping as his partner slipped off his back to walk next to him. He had stopped running, deciding that maybe that was spooking the deer.

Bill idly scratched his head as they walked. The top of Dipper's head easily reached his elbow. Not the biggest werewolf Bill has ever seen, but he was still pretty impressive.

“You know what I realized?” Bill said quietly after a few minutes of walking.

Dipper flicked an ear in question.

“It's hunting season.”

Dipper's ears laid back and he growled.

“Yeah. So the deer are really skittish, they could be hiding from hunters. Some of them might have been thinned out already, so we'd have to go deeper into the woods to find more. Which is fine though, we have all night.”

Dipper nodded, trotting more quickly now. Bill jogged along next to him, but both were still remarkably quiet as they passed through the trees. They knew a few spots where deer liked to congregate, and planned on checking them.

The wolf's nostrils flared as he finally caught a hint of a smell, and he stopped, nosing at Bill's side. The vampire swung up onto his back, leaning down and holding him with his arms around his neck. They were even quieter if only one was walking.

Dipper moved carefully, checking which direction the wind was coming from before moving so he was downwind. That way the scent of the deer was coming right toward him, and they would be unable to smell him. His steps slowed as he got closer, and he almost stopped breathing when he finally saw them.

There was a buck, tall and proud, watching over a group of does as they grazed. A few looked like they were starting to doze off. One even settled down on the ground to groom herself.

Dipper stopped, standing perfectly still as the buck's keen eyes passed over him. They were too close for Bill to risk whispering. All he could do was hope that Dipper's sights were on that buck. They could go for the bedded doe, but the buck was likely to get defensive and attack if they targeted a female. It was the time of year for males to be extremely aggressive.

His assumption was right. He held tight as Dipper took careful steps closer. And closer. Moving as the wind changed. The buck seemed antsy. He stared into the trees where they hid, scratching the ground with a hoof. Snorting. The does seemed nervous at his behavior, and the one that was laying down soon climbed to her hooves.

Once Dipper was only a few yards away, he sprinted forward. The buck didn't know what hit him. His legs were just starting to scramble when the huge wolf slammed into him, paws latching onto his side and knocking him onto the ground. The strong legs kicked, and Bill jumped off of Dipper to give him some room.

The buck tossed his head, trying to gouge his antlers into Dipper. The werewolf skillfully avoided them, holding the deer down and clamping his jaws around its throat.

By now the does had taken off, little tails up in alarm as they disappeared into the trees. Dipper ignored them, focused on his prize. He held the buck as it struggled, biting harder. Bill soon grabbed the antlers to hold the head still. His superhuman strength made this an easy task.

Finally, the deer slumped, suffocating as Dipper made breathing impossible. Shock shut its body down, and soon it stopped moving altogether. Could still be alive, but Dipper let go of the throat to instead use his claws to tear its side open. He lowered his jaw to tear through the skin, soon getting to the meat inside and biting down.

Bill spent a few moments watching the creature eat, ripping rib bones out and throwing them aside to get at the organs, and then decided to take his fill. He knelt down next to the neck, pressing on the spot where Dipper's teeth had been. It was steadily bleeding, and he closed his mouth over the wound, drinking. His eyes slipped closed as the warm blood passed over his tongue. It was still sometimes disappointing, how it didn't taste as rich as human blood, but... it came from a mammal, and it was satisfactory. There would be plenty for him to drink, as well. He didn't like completely filling up on animal blood, it made him feel sick, so he'd probably stop soon. But this would be enough to get him through several days.

When he felt the nausea start to set in, he pulled his teeth out of the vein and looked over to see how Dipper was doing.

The werewolf had nearly his entire head buried inside the deer's body, eating noisily. Bones and strips of skin were scattered around him.

“Delightful,” Bill said, getting up with a grin and walking over to watch him. Dipper gave a territorial growl, but when he felt the other's familiar touch on his back, he wagged his tail. This was his mate, he reminded himself. No big deal.

His mouth still full, Dipper pulled back so he could look at Bill. Blood and gore covered his face, and he swallowed so he could lick off his mouth.

“Disgusting,” Bill teased.

Dipper blinked at him and then butted his head against him, nearly knocking him over. He then tore the deer's front leg off, offering the entire limb to Bill.

“For me? Aw, thank you, Pine Tree.” Bill accepted it, peeling the skin back from the upper leg so he could take a bite out of the muscle. It was a predator bonding thing. It would be rude if he refused to eat food that the other so generously offered him.

Dipper tore that carcass to shreds, taking nearly every edible bit off of it. He left behind bones and a few tough bits he didn't like, but all the thick muscle and the soft organs were torn out and consumed.

He had some fun with the intestines, electing not to eat them, but instead pulling them out and offering an end to Bill. The two proceeded to play tug of war, which Dipper was actually winning, until the organ ripped apart. They dropped the pieces, and Bill went to break the antlers off, tossing one to Dipper to catch. He did so easily, bringing it back and giving it to Bill.

Thus leading to a game of fetch, as Bill would throw the antler high into the air, and Dipper would leap up and grab it, sometimes doing a flip before he landed.

“You're such a show off,” Bill laughed as Dipper did a roll before trotting over to him.

Dipper tossed the antler down at his feet and gave him a look. Even without words, his thoughts were apparent. _Shut up I do what I want._

They soon left the dead deer and its few remaining parts behind, to be picked at by insects and other curious animals, and walked through the forest. With neither being very hungry anymore, they were able to just enjoy each other's company. Bill did all of the talking, and Dipper would just nod and respond with body language. After a while though, he stopped and sniffed.

“What is it?” Bill asked, also inhaling. He didn't smell anything out of the ordinary. Maybe a bit of deer scent, but as he has already eaten, he didn't really care for it.

Dipper seemed unsure. He tilted his ears, listening. Sniffed again. Then he gave Bill a bewildered look.

“Does something smell weird?”

Dipper nodded.

“Well, do you think it's a human?”

The werewolf shook his head. Then he considered, and shrugged.

“They have a pretty recognizable smell, you can't tell?” Bill looked around. “Maybe we should avoid whatever it is, then. Could be a... a harpy. They have a somewhat human scent, but at the same time, it isn't. Or a troll, though those tend to smell pretty gross and you usually find those in mountains. Not many live in forests.”

Dipper gave him a look that said, _I can take care of whatever it is_.

“I know you can fight off almost anything. But we don't need to go looking for trouble.”

The wolf let out a series of short barks that Bill knew was his version of laughing. Then he took the lead, body language confident. _I want to check it out._

“Fine,” Bill replied. “Maybe it is some kind of supernatural creature. This should be fun, then.”

Dipper seemed to get more and more puzzled as they got closer to the smell. And now Bill could pick up on it. Deer urine. Much more potent than it should smell, but that was almost certainly what it was. And maybe something else, a barely noticeable scent under that... it reminded him of a human. In fact, he was very sure he was smelling a human.

“Dipper, stop,” Bill said, throwing an arm out to stop the other. “I'm pretty sure we're approaching a human. I can't be sure because it really just smells like a buck marked its territory up here, and maybe a human just walked through, but... we can't be sure. We should turn back.”

Dipper just gave him a casual look, smiling a bit. _Bill, come on. I'm totally in control, look at me. I'll be fine._

Bill may not be able to hear his thoughts, but he could guess them easily enough. “You might think you can handle seeing a human, but I don't think you can. You're okay now, but the moment one enters your line of sight, it will snap you into predator mode. You won't be able to resist attacking. Your species is supposed to spread your curse to others. At least the purpose of mine is merely to drink the blood. We don't need to transform others. We can, but that takes more effort. The only urge I have to fight is the urge to bite for food, but it's not so bad. You, though... you'll be compelled into doing it. I've seen other werewolves, I know this.”

Dipper seemed unsure now. But he kept walking. He wanted to at least check. The moment his nose detected a truly human scent, he would bolt and never look back. He's gotten close before. He'll be fine.

The wind ended up shifting, and he lost the smell. And with the trees getting thicker here, tracking would be more difficult anyway. It was really dark, and even with his night vision, shadows blurred together into confusing shapes. But he could definitely recognize the silhouette of an animal in this lighting. Any animal. Even a human.

He pushed past a bush that was growing up along a tree, but the moment he felt the texture of it, he realized it wasn't a bush. He spun back toward it, realizing that it was a small tent with a camouflage pattern, covered in leaf-shaped fabric that made it look like a bush. Wait. He's seen tents like this before. It was a blind. Like... for a hunter!

He took a few steps back. Now he could smell the human. There was one right inside this tent. All zipped up, the scent was faint, and the person had obviously made attempts to cover up his own smell with what was now definitely recognizable as deer urine, but Dipper could tell. Adult man. Hasn't showered in a while. Seems to have last eaten beans. He could hear him shifting around inside, and the barrel of a rifle poked out through a small hole in the side of the blind. He stood perfectly still, staring at the mesh around the hole, which the hunter seemed to be able to see out of.

“Dipper,” Bill hissed in his ear. “Run.”

But Dipper stood there, frozen as conflicting emotions rose in him. Run, turn and go, now- human, adult human very close, right there, only flimsy fabric between them he could rip in and bite him so easily, do it _bite the human-_

Dipper growled and tore his eyes away, running. There was a bang, and he jumped as a sharp pain ripped through his side. He stumbled, and turned back around to see smoke drift from the barrel of the gun. His vision turned red. The hunter _shot_ him! How dare he shoot him, he wasn't a deer! He ran toward the blind, and was shot again, this time in the chest. It hurt, but the bullet didn't penetrate, merely bouncing off and falling to the ground. The pain only made him angrier, his rational mind swept aside as the werewolf instincts kicked in full force.

“Dipper, no!” Bill shouted, getting in front of him and grabbing him. Dipper snarled and fought with him, paws smacking at his chest and face. Meanwhile, the hunter seemed to change his mind about shooting this particular animal, and quickly unzipped his tent and climbed out, swinging his gun over his shoulder and running.

Dipper slammed his entire weight into Bill, knocking him down, and gave chase.

“Pine Tree, stop!” Bill stumbled up and ran after him, managing to grab his tail, which only resulted in him being dragged behind the werewolf. He struggled, trying to dig his feet into the ground, but nothing stopped his partner.

And then Dipper managed to yank free of him, and leapt forward, slamming the hunter into the ground. His massive front paws kept him pinned, and as the man fumbled to get his rifle, Dipper grabbed it in his jaws and tore it off its strap, tossing it several feet away.

“Help!” the hunter screamed. “Someone!”

Bill tried to push Dipper off of him, but not even his strength was enough to budge a furious werewolf. As he leaned down to try and pull the man out from under Dipper's feet, he was struck in the face by the wolf's paw, and landed hard on his rear. Eyes wide, he rubbed his face as it smarted. If he was a human, his neck probably would have been snapped from such a hit. “Dipper?” he whispered. He stared at his partner's eyes, but he couldn't see a hint of compassion there. No love, no kindness. He was all beast.

“Y-you, help!” the hunter shouted at him, hands clawing at the ground as he tried to pull himself free of Dipper, but he was effectively trapped.

“I'm trying!” Bill yelled back, getting up and lunging at Dipper. Again, he was slapped away by a powerful paw, and as his head was snapped to the side, he landed in a daze.

Clearly annoyed, Dipper snarled at him, and leaned over his prey, claws digging harshly through his clothes, no doubt cutting his skin open underneath. He leaned his weight hard on him, and Bill could see blood staining the clothing. His pupils dilated, and then he shook his head. No, focus.

His third attempt at freeing the hunter ended the same way as the previous ones. And his actions only seemed to be infuriating the werewolf more. Dipper intentionally tore his claws through the hunter's shirt, ripping huge pieces of fabric off and laying open the skin of his back. More blood streamed out, and Bill reeled back as he smelled it. His mind blanked of every thought except how much he wanted to taste it, to sink his teeth in and drink until there was no more movement-

“Gah!” He slapped himself hard and stumbled onto his feet, refusing to listen to that urge. He was civilized, he told himself. He was civilized, he could control himself, he would not give in. Keep distracting Dipper. Find a way to get him away, so the hunter could flee. He had to keep the werewolf from biting him.

Dipper shoved his victim into the ground, before rolling him over and continuing to leave gashes in him with his claws, wanting him to be so badly hurt he wouldn't be able to flee what was coming next. He started to lean down, only for his head to be grabbed in Bill's arms and lifted. He showed his teeth as he met the vampire's eyes. Some distant part of his mind reminded him that this was his mate, someone he loved dearly, who was just trying to stop him from making a big mistake. But he didn't care. He was doing what he was supposed to do. And no one was going to stop him. Confident that the hunter wouldn't be able to run, he climbed off of him long enough to grab the vampire with his jaws and drag him away. Then he used all of his weight to body slam him, knocking him into a tree.

Bill's vision blurred as his head collided with the trunk, and he collapsed, too stunned to get up for a few moments. In that time, Dipper returned to the human, who was stronger than he had expected, because he had gotten up and was limping away. It only took seconds for Dipper to catch him again, aggression and adrenaline pounding through him. This wasn't right, this needed to stop, he heard a small voice shout in his mind. He didn't listen.

With the human pinned underneath his paws once more, he lowered his jaws to his arm, tearing the fabric off and exposing the skin. Then he did what he's been wanting to do this entire time, and sank his teeth deep into the flesh.


	6. Dilemma

The hunter screamed as his arm was bitten, struggling hard to free himself. His free hand repeatedly punched the wolf's mouth, grabbed it and tried to pry the jaws off, but to no avail. He tried to stab his fingers into Dipper's eyes, and only then did Dipper finally let go and turn his head away. But he had gotten what he wanted.

The man's eyelids flickered as a wave of exhaustion and nausea hit him, muscles going limp.

“Dipper!” Bill shouted, stalking over to werewolf and giving him a hard smack to the snout.

Dipper jerked back, shaking his head and blinking. His shrunk pupils slowly expanded, his expression softening. He seemed confused as he licked his mouth off, tasting the blood on his teeth. Then he looked back down at his victim and flinched, taking several steps back. His mouth gaped open as he took in the sight, and he jerked his head toward Bill, questioning.

“Yes, you bit him!” Bill yelled.

Dipper's eyes widened. His ears laid flat, tail lowering. He trembled as he glanced at the human, and then at the vampire. He whined lowly.

“I told you not to follow that scent, and you did! Now you've gone and created another werewolf!” Bill pushed past him, kneeling down next to the groaning, barely conscious human and pressing his hand to his forehead to check his temperature. Then he lifted his arm to check on the wound. “It takes a while for the curse to set in, but in an hour, he'll be just like you.”

Dipper shook his head quickly, eyes pleading. He didn't want anyone else to suffer like he did. It was why he tried to avoid humans. He has never attacked anyone before, this was the first time, and while part of him was deeply satisfied, the human side of him was horrified. It was every bit as awful as he imagined.

“There isn't a cure,” Bill said. “You know this. Otherwise I would have found one for you. The only way to cure him is to kill him.”

How could Dipper be expected to make that call? He didn't want to kill the man. But he didn't want him to live and suffer either. This was impossible. He wanted to cry.

Bill sighed at his partner's distress, and got up to comfort him. He wrapped his arms around him, stroking the back of his head as he said, “It's okay. You couldn't control yourself. You were curious and wanted to check out a weird smell. And you stumbled right into a human. You did your best to get away, and he provoked you. If he hadn't shot you, you wouldn't have turned back. You attacked in defense. Please calm down... it'll be okay.”

Dipper closed his eyes, leaning into the other's arms. He wanted to just lie down and do nothing until morning, but they had to do something with the hunter. He nosed at Bill's neck to get him to lean back, and then pointed his snout toward the human. Silently asking him what they should do.

“We have to make a choice,” Bill said. “Between what is easy, and what is right. The easy thing to do would be leaving him alone. The wounds won't kill him before the transformation sets in and heals him. But the right thing to do would be to put him out of his misery. Listen, his first night will be awful. He'll have no self control, he'll just roam and howl and attack everything he sees. Imagine if he smelled a human. He wouldn't turn away like you. He'd pursue. And he already knows how to hunt, it'll only make it worse. And then imagine when he changes back. If he doesn't even remember what happened. He goes home, spends time with his family. Next month, he's there when he changes. And he attacks them. He could even kill any young children living there. It would be irresponsible to allow him to live.”

There were so many things Dipper wanted to say and he couldn't. No matter how he tried, he couldn't speak, he could only growl quietly, still wanting another way out of this.

“I'm sorry,” Bill sighed. “We have to kill him.”

Dipper's posture was resigned as he walked toward the hunter. Tail almost tucked between his legs, head hung low. The human weakly shuffled backward, but he was too disoriented to move far.

“I'll do it,” Bill said, stopping Dipper. He walked past him to kneel down next to the man. “Hey. I'm Bill Cipher. What's your name?”

The hunter squinted at him, and rasped, “Mark.”

“You got a last name, Mark?”

“Adams.”

“All right, Mark Adams. Listen, how do you feel?”

“How do I feel? I just got mauled by that fucking wolf, what do you think?”

“Probably not very good, then.”

“Nah, really?”

“Listen, do you feel feverish? Like you're about to burst into flame?”

“...Kinda.”

“Itchiness all across your body?”

“Now that you mention it, yeah.”

Bill nodded as the other confirmed it. “Unfortunate.”

“Wh-what is that thing, it's bigger than any wolf I've ever seen, and why isn't it attacking anymore? Is it yours? Did you set it on me?!”

“Calm down.” Bill placed a hand on Mark's shoulder to keep him down. “It's not an it, but a he. And he's not just a wolf. He's a werewolf. He's not attacking anymore because his instinct is to turn humans into new werewolves. Because he bit you, he has done his job. He got control of himself and now he feels really bad for doing this. I did not tell him to do anything; in fact, I tried to stop him.”

“Oh, right... well, why ain't he attacking you? If he's one of these so-called werewolves?”

“Because I'm not human. I'm a vampire.” Bill could tell the moment the word left his mouth that the other didn't believe him. So he showed his fangs. That made the man jump, swearing.

“What the fuck?!”

“In a little less than an hour, the curse is gonna set in. You're gonna become a werewolf too, because when he bit you, he transferred it into your blood. And we can't allow that to happen. It's too dangerous having a new lycanthrope in these woods. One that won't know how to control himself. So for the safety of the rest of Gravity Falls, we're gonna have to put you down. Sacrificing one to save many more. I do hope you understand.”

“W-wait, you're... you're not going to kill me, are you?!”

“I'm afraid I have no choice. I'm sorry... we'll make sure your body is found.” Bill didn't wait for the other to protest. He lifted him up, and with one sound strike, knocked him unconscious.

Dipper cringed, and stared as Bill lowered Mark back down and began tearing fabric away from his neck. He moved closer, pushing his head between the two.

“What?” Bill asked. Dipper's silent stare said it all. “Look, I know you hate it, but... I'm going to drink his blood.”

Dipper tackled him onto his back, shaking his head rapidly and showing his teeth in a growl.

“Pine Tree, it's the quickest way I've got to kill him!” Bill shouted. “I could try to break his neck, but what if I don't do it right? He could wake up and be in even more pain! Do you want that?”

The pain in Dipper's eyes made it evident. No, he didn't want that.

“And this could be my chance to finally have human blood, after all these years! Don't take this away from me!”

Dipper took in Bill's angry yet desperate gaze, and sighed as he stepped back. He walked a short distance away and sat down, refusing to look.

Bill rubbed his chest as he got up. He wanted to go comfort Dipper, but first things first... the human needed to be killed. He returned to the unconscious hunter and got down on his knees, gripping the exposed neck. He wouldn't have to drink all the blood, but to kill an adult human of this size, it would probably take about three liters. Quite a hefty amount considering that he's already had a lot, but...

But as he inhaled the scent of the other, he got the feeling he would be able to handle it. He dove down, finally giving in to his instincts. It felt amazing to just let go again, to put aside his old humanity and bury his fangs into the soft skin of the man's throat. They pierced into the jugular vein, and he practically moaned at the flavor as warm liquid flowed across his tongue. He dug his nails in, drinking as quickly as he could, as though he had been given water after traveling through a desert. In a way, that was almost what it was like, abstaining from human blood.

Now he wondered why he ever let himself stop drinking it. It was so delicious, so satisfying, in ways no other animal could ever deliver. He was soon slowing down just to savor the taste, eyes slipping closed, and he could hear the man's heartbeat slowing as blood pressure rapidly dropped. His body should be going into shock any moment now.

Bill continued to drink, quickly getting lost in ecstasy. He could feel energy buzzing through his body, more than he's felt in a long time, and he almost shook with excitement. He should start hunting humans again. Talk Dipper into letting him... this was fantastic. So much better than he remembered...

As promised, he didn't completely drain the body. But he certainly went until he heard the heart stop, the blood no longer pulsing beneath his teeth. He fed for a few more seconds just to make sure, and finally let go. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he sighed happily as he licked it off, taking the hunter's wrist in his hand to check for a pulse. None. There was no breathing either. He was dead.

Bill stood, looking at the prone form for a while, then walking over to Dipper, who hadn't moved for the past several minutes.

“You okay, pup?” he asked gently.

He got his answer when Dipper looked at him with miserable eyes. No, he absolutely was not okay. That expression broke Bill's heart, and he wrapped him into a hug. Dipper almost immediately starting whining. “Hey, it's okay... I know you didn't mean to, you're a good person, just... things happen. We gave him a painless death, it's... okay. He won't suffer. And I'll... I'll come back later, do something about the body. Ssh, listen. Hey, you wanna race? Won't that be fun?”

Dipper didn't want to race. He pulled away, going to look at the hunter. He nosed the corpse, sniffed, and then looked up at the sky to howl. It wasn't like his usual defiant howl. This one was sad. Longing.

Bill set his hand on his back as he joined in. His howls weren't near as loud, but they sufficed.

Once Dipper finished announcing his grief, he started walking away, not wanting to look at this scene anymore. Bill made sure he knew where this was, and then followed.

“I'll come back later and take care of all this,” he assured Dipper. “You won't have to look at him again. Okay?”

He was answered with a small nod.

They spent the rest of the night just walking. Neither spoke. Bill just kept his hand on his partner's neck, gently stroking the fur, giving him silent comfort. Hours seemed to pass slowly, until finally, the moon began to lower and they could see the first tentative glow of the Sun.

Only then did Bill speak. “The Sun is coming up, pup. Are you ready?”

Dipper shrugged. He was as ready as he'll ever be.

Bill left him alone for a few minutes, only to run back to the shack to grab some clothes for him. When he returned, the two began heading toward their house, so it'd be less distance for Dipper to walk once he changed back. He would no doubt be exhausted and ready to collapse once he was human again.

The sky changed colors, growing brighter as the stars faded. Dipper's steps began to falter, his ears laying back as his bones ached. He was losing energy, and he soon stopped walking and stood still, eyes squeezed shut.

Bill knelt down in front of him, and Dipper collapsed into his arms, whining softly as his body forcibly shifted again. This time losing its fur, face and limbs reshaping, as painful-sounding pops sounded from his skeleton.

“I know, it hurts,” Bill said softly as the other groaned and shifted, claws digging into his legs. He buried his face into his partner's neck, holding him close. He felt the claws shorten, turning into nails. Paws changed into hands, and shaky fingers gripped the fabric of his pants.

It only took about a minute. But it was an agonizing minute. By the time Dipper was completely human, he was sweating and trembling, holding Bill tightly.

“Okay, you're done,” Bill said, rubbing his back. “Can you stand?”

Dipper nodded, and with Bill's help, stood up. He pulled his shredded clothes off without a word, and Bill handed him the clean ones. He still didn't speak as he got dressed, and then he started walking away.

“Sapling?” Bill asked as he followed him, holding the discarded clothes.

Dipper looked over at him. His eyes were hard. Angry. Bill knew immediately why.

“Look, Dipper... I didn't want to do that. But he's better off dead.”

“I never should have looked for him in the first place. I'm so stupid.” Dipper's voice was a little raw around the edges, like it usually was after spending a night unable to make any sound except those of a wolf.

“No, you're not stupid. You just... made a mistake.”

“A mistake that led to someone getting killed. I told myself I would never hurt a human. And yet... and yet...” Dipper stared at his own hands, able to remember how he slammed that hunter down with strong paws, how he had torn through clothes and skin with his claws... he shuddered and threw them down, disgusted at himself.

“You couldn't help yourself,” Bill insisted, jogging quicker so he could walk next to him. He held out an arm, and when Dipper didn't move away, gently slipped it around his waist. “I think you did amazing. When you realized you had found a human, you tried to get away. You turned and ran. Just... he shot at you. Any beast would fight after being shot. Whether wolf, or even human... it was just instinct.”

“And I attacked you. You aren't even human, but... I could have really hurt you.”

“Ah, Pine Tree... nothing would have hurt me. You just surprised me, was all. Only certain things can hurt a vampire. You were aggressive because you were protecting your prey. I have no hard feelings toward you for any of it. No one can resist werewolf instincts once they kick in. No matter how strong their will is. Please don't beat yourself up over this. Mourn, and then move on.”

Dipper sighed, staring blankly ahead. “I wish there was a cure.”

Bill frowned as he rubbed his back, reaching his other hand over to caress Dipper's arm. “Yeah... me too.”


	7. Search

When they got back to the Mystery Shack, Dipper immediately went upstairs to their room and collapsed onto the bed. Bill sat next to him and used his magic to help him fall asleep, massaging his back and shoulders as he did. Once the man was asleep, he got up. He crossed the room to the dresser and tugged off his clothes, changing into a more comfortable pair of jeans and a hoodie. He tugged on some gloves, and then headed downstairs.

He glared up at the sky as the Sun rose, but the protective magic on his skin was still working. He still hated sunlight, though. He pulled the hood up and broke into a run. He headed deep into the woods, tracking down the body of the hunter. There were already insects crawling on it. He waved them away, and began searching the man's clothing. He pulled out a wallet, keys, and a cell phone. Each item, he slipped into his own pockets. He left behind a few things, like a packet of gum and some extra bullets. Once he collected everything he felt he needed, he sprinted back home.

He checked to make sure Dipper was still asleep as he entered the bedroom. He wasn't surprised to see that he was still out. Of course. He would probably sleep well into the afternoon. Usually Bill would join him, but he had to take care of things as he promised.

He crossed over to the desk and turned on the desktop computer. Once it loaded up, he opened a word document and typed out a letter.

 

_To whom it may concern,_

_The contents of this envelope belonged to a man who is now dead. I am returning it to you in the hopes that it will aid your search for his body and the subsequent identification of it. The driver's license and social security number have been removed from his wallet for your convenience, though nothing else has been taken from it. His cell phone has also not been tampered with in any way. The shred of fabric is from the inside of his shirt and may be used to track him. As he died in the woods, you will almost certainly require a canine to complete your search._

_I ask that you do not try to find who did the deed. Your search will almost certainly be in vain. Please give my sincerest apologies and condolences to the family and friends, and may they find peace one day. Trust me when I say that he is better off this way._

_Sincerely,_

_A remorseful gentleman_

 

Bill scanned over the letter before nodding in approval and hitting print. When the paper printed, he searched through the desk and pulled out a large manila envelope, slipping the paper inside along with the items he had listed on the letter. He then looked up the address for the Gravity Falls police station, and printed out the label.

It occurred to him that he couldn't put a return address on it. Would the post office send it? Maybe he should just take this to the police station himself...

Making up his mind, he sealed the envelope and went outside once more. This was risky, but it had to be done. He changed into his bat form and grabbed the envelope in his claws, flying into town. It was somewhat awkward, but he was far stronger than any normal bat. He could carry a human if he tried hard enough. An envelope? Easy.

He could see that the station had cameras monitoring its grounds, but he couldn't do anything about that. He flew right to the door and dropped the parcel in front of it, and then soared away. Gravity Falls didn't have the most competent police force. They likely wouldn't find the package too suspicious to open. But hopefully once they did, they would be able to track down Mark's body.

Bill changed back in midair right outside the shack, landing softly on the grass and jogging up the steps. He grumbled at the warm air and entered the blissfully cool house, where there was no natural light to shine on him. He tugged off his gloves and jacket as he headed upstairs, and they were thrown to the floor the moment he entered the bedroom. He stepped out of his shoes, and sat down on the edge of the bed to tug his pants off. More comfortable now, he crawled over to Dipper, who was curled up a bit as he slept, brows furrowed.

The vampire slid under the covers with him, and felt Dipper's arms move around him. He smiled as he closed his eyes, checking to see what the other was dreaming about.

It wasn't pleasant; he was reliving the earlier attack on the hunter. But more vivid, with much more blood being spilled. And even as Bill watched, the dream Dipper went as far as ripping through the man's gut and tearing out organs in long, bloody strings, flesh and gore dripping out...

“Okay, that's enough of that,” Bill whispered, and used his dream bending ability to change it. The forest and screaming hunter went away, and Dipper was changed back into a human, now flying with his arms stretched out over a vast, sparkling ocean. He could feel the other's muscles relax, and smiled. “There you go.” He left that dream to play out, and snuggled more into his partner's arms, letting himself drift off. Everything would be okay.

 

The distinct sound of someone knocking on the kitchen door woke Bill up several hours later. He groaned as he shifted, wearily raising an arm to look at his watch. 3 PM. Ugh. He waited a few moments, but when he heard the rapping again, he sighed and wiggled out of Dipper's arms. “I'm coming!” he shouted. He tugged a pair of pajama pants on and went to the bedroom door, then paused when he heard Dipper say his name.

“Bill?” he asked, voice slurring with exhaustion.

“Go back to sleep, sapling. There's just someone at the door.”

“Mm... I'll come with you.” Dipper yawned as he got up, pulling on some pants too before following Bill downstairs.

Confirming that their unexpected guest was at the kitchen door, Bill went to open it. And blinked as he saw that it was Sheriff Blubs standing there with Deputy Durland right beside him.

“Afternoon, officers,” Bill said. “What can I do you for?”

“Here for some tea?” Dipper joked.

“Nah, not today, boys,” Blubs said soberly. “We're here on business.”

“What kind of business?” Bill asked, though he already had an idea. Besides their car, there was also a second patrol car, its officer standing outside with a German Shepard sitting next to him, and a third, pure black car whose inhabitant was choosing to stay inside.

“Well, we got a letter today about a dead body out in the woods. Wording seemed to imply that the murderer himself wrote it. So we're just about to go out there and look for it. I just wanted to let you know we'll be out there.”

“Ah. That is very unfortunate.” Bill noticed Dipper tense slightly and reached over to slip an arm around him. “Need any assistance from us?”

“No, no, whoever it was kindly provided us with some clothing from the victim, our dog should be able to track them down quite nicely. For privacy reasons I can't tell you who we're looking for... but I'll let you know if we find them. Mind if we leave our vehicles here?”

“No problem,” Bill said. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. C'mon Durland, let's get looking.” The two headed back to the vehicles, and Bill closed the door. But he continued to watch through the screen as the doors to the black car opened. The driver was dressed differently; a forensics expert or detective, most likely. And a woman in scrubs also got out; a medical professional. The group got together to talk before heading into the forest, the dog taking the lead.

“You think they'll find him?” Dipper asked worriedly.

“I'm sure they will. And we didn't leave any evidence there... we'll be okay. If they check for DNA, they won't know what to make of yours. It won't be human. As for mine? Also not human. They might just chalk it up to a weird animal attack.”

“I hope so.” Dipper glanced out the window, and sighed lowly. “I still feel so bad about this...”

“I know. But you're sorry for what you did, and that's what matters. You couldn't help what happened.”

“I still feel that there was something I could have done different.”

“Maybe so. But we can't change it now. All we can do is just try to move on.” Bill smiled and rubbed his arm. “Come on, why don't we go back up to bed?”

Dipper nodded and allowed himself to be led away, too miserable to really want to argue. He let Bill tuck him into bed, but when the vampire turned away, he curiously said, “Wait, what are you doing?”

“I'm just gonna make sure they find the body.”

“Isn't that risky?”

“Heh. My whole life since becoming a vampire has been risky. It's all right... I'll be back soon.” Bill leaned down to kiss him and stroked his hair. Then he crossed to the window and threw it open. After a reassuring smile at Dipper, he shifted into his bat form and jumped out.

He caught up to the search party quickly, and flew right over their heads. Durland jumped, and Blubs aimed a flashlight at him. The unfamiliar police officer paused, and so did the dog, which looked around curiously.

“Is that a bat?” the officer asked as Bill made another pass, this time to check out the man's name tape. Styles.

“Strange, they're usually not awake at this time of day,” the doctor commented. She peered closely at Bill as he flapped around, and ducked when his wing almost hit her. “Must be rabid.”

“Should we put it down?” Blubs asked, already reaching for his gun.

“No, we should just keep moving, it- hey!” She jerked back, but Bill landed right on her shoulder, toes digging in to hold on as he moved his face close. She met his big eyes, startled at the intelligence she saw in them. Then she was buffeted by his wings as he took off again, pulling on her shirt as he left. “Call me crazy, but I think it wants us to follow it.”

Bill let out a screech, and now the dog barked at him.

“Animals are usually very sensitive to strange things happening around them,” the detective mused. “Maybe it is trying to tell us something. And it seems to be going the same way as the dog.”

“I guess we don't have anythin' to lose,” Durland said.

Bill nodded at them, and flew over to grab Blubs's hat and yank on it to make sure he had their attention, before flying deeper into the woods. The group ran after him, and he occasionally made shrill shrieks to ensure they knew where he was. He sometimes got ahead of them, and had to pause on a branch as they caught up. Then he would take off again.

The hunter was deeper in the woods than he had thought. Or maybe normal humans were just painfully slow. He must have led them for an hour before he finally found the place where the hunter had been slain.

He was relieved when he finally alighted on a branch above the body, and the group slowed when they saw it. The canine was allowed forward to sniff it, and it traded a meaningful glance with its handler.

“That's definitely the guy,” Blubs said, taking out the driver's license to confirm. The group soon got to work examining the area and the body. Bill flew down to stand on Mark's chest, holding a wing gently against his face. Then he looked up at the others, giving them the most sorrowful look this face could manage. He took the time to fly up and perch on each person's shoulder, holding his wing thumb against their face as he looked into their eyes. Trying to apologize. None of them tried to smack him away.

Once he had done this, he took off, not looking back as he flew home. His still heart seemed to ache. He wished it hadn't come to this, but at least the body was found. The man would have a proper funeral. He could take solace in knowing that. But it hardly made it easier to bear.


	8. Some Help

"It's the most peculiar thing," the medical examiner said as she pulled a tarp over the body and backed away to write more notes. "It has several lesions on it consistent with the marks left by wolves, but wolves don't usually scratch near as much as this. These wounds are extremely deep and the claws were spaced out more than usual. It must have come from a creature about three times the size of a regular grey wolf."

"Mhm." The detective was copying down everything she was telling him. "And the wound on his arm?"

"Animal bite. Again, very similar to a wolf, but... it must have had an unusually long snout. I'm really not sure."

"Mutated wolf, perhaps."

"Could be." She looked at her clipboard. "Also, there are twin puncture wounds in his neck. Like..." She hesitated, then said, "Well sir, they kinda remind me of a vampire bite mark."

He raised an eyebrow. "A vampire, Miss Gwen? I hardly think-"

"Now the lady could be onto somethin'," Durland said. "There's all kinds of crawlies and strange spookums in this town. A vampire wouldn't be the strangest thing."

"That would explain why the victim has lost an inconsistent amount of blood compared to the severity of the wounds," Gwen mused.

"The vampire sucked it out!" Durland shouted.

"Now, now, calm down," Blubs said, setting his hand on the other's shoulder. "We don't know for sure if it was a vampire."

"Yes well, if we could get back to real forensics-" the detective started, only for the entry of a stranger in the room to get their attention.

"I'd like to volunteer my services," the newcomer announced in a southern drawl.

The group stared at him, confused by the eighteen-year-old boy who strolled up to the table as though he belonged here. He was barely five feet tall, but had a thick build, with broad shoulders and an impressive belly. His snow white hair was in a perfect pompadour. With his blue eyes and pale skin, one would almost think he was albino. Or at the very least, had a melanin deficiency.

He wore a nice baby blue jacket over a black collared shirt, and dark blue jeans.

"Who are you?" the detective demanded of the well-dressed young man.

"Ah, relax, James," Blubs said. "It's just Gideon. A local."

Gideon scoffed and leaned casually on the table, paying no mind to the look that Gwen shot at him. “Just a local?” he repeated, before giving a surprisingly endearing little giggle. “I think I'm a teensy bit too famous to be 'just' a local.” He reached into his pocket. "Gideon Gleeful, at your service," he said with a charming grin, slipping James a business card.

"Gideon Gleeful, psychic detective," James read from it. He peered at the other. "This some kind of joke?"

"Ain't no joke, he's the real deal," Durland said. "I was sure I had lost my car keys, but he found them! Never would have guessed where!"

"Ah, all kinds of weird things end up in the fridge," Gideon chuckled.

"Gideon, would you happen to know where my sunglasses went?" Blubs asked.

"Your black aviators?"

"Yeah!"

"On your head, Blubs."

The man checked to make sure. "Amazing!"

“He used to do these absolutely amazing magic shows when he was younger,” Durland gushed. “At the Tent of Telepathy! But then he started traveling more, doin' shows on the road, ya know? Becoming practically a household name among magic fans. Haven't seen him around much since. Until now!”

“Decided to come back to my home town,” Gideon said casually. “I'm pursuing a career in criminal justice. I'm blessed to have these amazing powers, and want to use them for the greater good. And Gravity Falls is the most accepting place for someone like me. So I want to settle down here.”

“Welcome back,” Blubs said, patting him on the back.

“Glad to be back, Sheriff. Now then, can I take a look at this body?”

Gwen seemed unsure, but she nodded and gestured to it. “Go ahead, but don't go around telling people about this. I don't even know how you found out about it, we've barely started our investigation...”

“I just have premonitions about this sort of thing. One of my many gifts.” All confidence, Gideon strolled down to the head of the body, lifting the tarp and ducking under to check it out. He soon leaned back. "Wow, definitely a vampire attack! Luckily I specialize in cases involving supernatural creatures."

"Do you have any references?" James asked. "What cases have you solved?"

Gideon smiled. "Ever heard of the Miranda Abshire case? Found dead and sucked dry of blood, wrapped in web and practically mummified. I figured out that she was killed by an arachnimorph. Didn't make big news though. The public doesn't tend to believe such things."

James seemed to recognize the name. "Killed by an arachnimorph?"

"Yep. Half spider, half man. Disgusting creatures. But what you seem to be dealing with here is a lot worse than any spider man. You've got a vampire running around. And judging by those scratches, they're with a werewolf. Quite an interesting case." Gideon tapped on his chin as he considered it. Then said, "Never heard of this happening here... must be young ones. Inexperienced, out of control. I think we should bring them to justice. What do you think?"

"If it's people that did this, and not just wild animals, then we need to find them and take care of them," James said.

"Someone human, or at least partly human, knows what happened," Blubs said. "They're the one who tipped us off. Said that this man is better off dead. Crazy son of a-"

"If there is a werewolf involved in this, this guy _is_ better off dead. I'd rather be dead than suffering lycanthropy. But it's too early to know for sure. Might I see that letter?"

"Certainly!"

"Hold on," James interrupted. "Are we really gonna let this kid help us?"

"Gideon is a fine, intelligent young man," Blubs defended. "He can see things we can't. No harm in letting him help."

"Thank you," Gideon replied with a smile. "Now how about we talk about my rates while we're getting this letter?"

"You're such a swell guy." Blubs led him away.

"I swear on the name of my good friend Sadachbia that I will track down whoever is responsible for this most heinous crime."

When the two were gone, Gwen sighed and returned to examining the body. "Well I sure hope he can help us."

"I don't trust that gleam in his eyes," James said.

"Ah that's probably just his psychic magic," Durland assured them, before strolling out of the room after Blubs and Gideon.

After a few moments, James said, "And what the hell kind of name is Sadachbia?"

"I don't know sir, probably Arabic," Gwen replied, as she examined the victim's neck wounds yet again.

"...Right. Well then, back to work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a short chapter, I am double-updating and the next one will be a bit longer. The next chapter will also contain smut. It can be skipped without really losing any plot. All you'll miss out on is Dipper getting the affectionate loving he needs. Things should resume as normal by the chapter after that.


	9. Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this chapter is pretty much plot-less smut. Read if you wish, but if you don't want to, you won't miss out on anything by waiting for the next chapter. For those who do go on ahead, enjoy. :)

Bill was ready when Dipper woke up. He was poised over him, eyes unblinking, just waiting. And the moment Dipper blinked his own eyes open, Bill dove down to kiss him, wrapping his arms around his neck.

It's been a few days since the full moon and Dipper was still upset over what happened, despite Bill's attempts to cheer him up. He brooded on it constantly, wondering if the death was being investigated, how the family was handling it, and if it would somehow be tracked back to him.

Bill assured him that it was okay, he didn't mean to do it, but that didn't ease the werewolf's mind. So Bill was forced to take more drastic measures.

"Hey, pup," he purred, wiggling his hips a bit as he leaned back from the kiss.

Dipper just looked at him. Then he said, "Good morning."

"Good morning, love." Bill kissed him again, and to his relief, Dipper responded, sliding an arm around him.

"Why so affectionate?" Dipper asked.

Bill swung his hips again. Dipper's face grew red as he realized the other wasn't wearing any clothes. "Welll we haven't been that... intimate these past few days. How come?"

"Oh. I don't know, I just... haven't really felt up to it."

"Aw." Bill gave him a pout, then his face brightened. "Well, wanna have some fun? Before we open the shack?"

Dipper looked at the clock, and then back at Bill, about to decline, but then he saw just how eager his partner looked, and didn't want to disappoint him.

"Okay," he agreed.

Bill beamed. "Excellent! Oh, I am gonna treat you good, don't you worry about a thing! You just lay back and enjoy!"

Dipper rested his arms behind his head, getting comfortable as Bill leaned over to retrieve their lube from the bedside table. He sighed as Bill slid his hand down his stomach, down to his groin, cupping him gently through his underwear.

The vampire smiled as he massaged the other, and leaned forward to kiss him. It was a more heated kiss than the earlier ones. More passionate, as his body warmed up in anticipation.

He slipped his hand past Dipper's waistband, grasping his length and stroking the rapidly hardening flesh.

"Hh..." Dipper tilted his head, deepening the kiss. His hips moved slightly into Bill's hand, and he sighed out against the other's lips, "Please..."

"Please what, Pine Tree?" Bill replied softly, slipping the other's underwear off and tossing them to the floor.

Dipper moved so he could breathe into the other's ear, "Distract me so I don't think about what I did."

Bill chuckled as he nuzzled him. "I can certainly do that. But I do so hope you enjoy it." He pushed the covers back and out of their way, and moved to straddle one of Dipper's legs. "Relax. I'm gonna make you feel good." He began kissing down the man's body. Starting with his lips. Then he nipped carefully down his jaw, and licked his neck. He could sense his partner's heart racing. He continued down, kissing his collarbones. Then chest. Lower... he carefully traced his tongue over a nipple, making Dipper give a breathy moan. The remaining tension seemed to fade from his body, and he leaned back a bit, gathering some pillows behind him for support.

Bill teased the sensitive bud until it was firm, not stopping the steady pumping of his hand as he switched to the other side of his chest.

“Mm, Bill...” Dipper's fingers clenched in Bill's hair, and he leaned his head back as he enjoyed the loving touches he was being given.

The smaller man smiled at the sound of his partner's voice, and continued to kiss him. He brushed his lips over the skin of his belly, free hand caressing it, giving light squeezes that made the other giggle. He scooted back a bit as he reached Dipper's hips, and then he moved down to a leg, intentionally skipping the most sensitive part. He crossed to the other leg, trailing kisses up Dipper's thigh, though they turned to bites as he got closer to his groin. After giving the skin a particularly long suckle, he finally turned his head and kissed the tip of his arousal.

With a soft moan, Dipper shifted, hips raising slightly. Bill lovingly began trailing his mouth down the man's length, kissing and nuzzling the sensitive flesh, paying special attention to the sweet spots on his underside.

Dipper fisted his fingers harder in Bill's hair, pulling him down. Bill laughed and listened to his silent request, taking him into his mouth and starting a slow rhythm.

“Nngh... B-Bill, Bill please...” Dipper pleaded softly, slipping a little further down on the bed, laying back more, legs apart.

Bill smiled and went a little faster, eyes trained on Dipper's face, looking up at him through his lashes.

“Fuck... nn...” It was quite easy for Dipper to forget about his worries when he was being treated like this. He felt a rush of gratitude for Bill talking him into this, and gave his hair a more tender caress, running the soft strands through his fingers.

Bill pulled his mouth away after about a minute, and crawled up Dipper's front to whisper into his ear, “What do you want me to do to you? Want me to get on top of you and have my way? Or do you want to lay back while I ride you?”

Dipper's hand slid down Bill's back, grasping his rear and pulling him a little more firmly against him. “Ride me.”

“Heh. Whatever you want, my love.” Bill picked up the bottle of lube, opening it and squeezing some out onto his fingers. He shifted to sit up on his knees, legs apart as he began loosening himself.

Dipper soon opened his eyes to watch, blushing but interested. He loved the faces Bill made while doing this. Part of him wanted to help, no doubt this was awkward for the other, but he had been given permission to just lay back and do nothing. So he was going to relax and keep his head as clear as he could. Just focus on the two of them, not what he's done in the past, not what he was going to do in the future... just live in this moment.

Once Bill was satisfied, he poured more lubricant out onto his palm and applied it to Dipper in long, generous strokes that had the other squirming. Especially when that delicate hand brushed right over his tip, thumb touching just right... Dipper's hands found Bill's thighs, gripping them tight.

“Touch all you want,” Bill murmured. “I'm yours.” He lowered himself down, easily taking the other inside. The friction and sudden fullness sent pleasure up his spine and he moaned, back bowing as he leaned his head back, presenting a rather appealing view to the man under him.

Dipper's breath caught as he watched the other arch, and he sat forward a bit, wanting to see his facial expressions. But Bill was soon moving, strong legs lifting him up and down, finding a rhythm and sticking to it, and the feeling was so strong that Dipper closed his eyes.

It was good. It was good and intimate and Dipper has sorely missed it. His hands stroked Bill's sides, helping to support him, and he felt Bill set one hand on his stomach. “Gods, sapling... I've really missed this,” the vampire groaned.

“M-me too, even though... it hasn't been that long,” Dipper agreed.

“I know you've been feeling down lately... I wanted to cheer you up.”

“W-well it's working, I ahh... I feel better. For now... nngh oh _God_ , Bill!” Dipper was vocal and he was perfectly aware of it, but he didn't try to fight it. He learned this about himself a long time ago. He got over his embarrassment. Bill enjoyed the sounds, so he was going to make them. Besides... the vampire had no hesitation to moan for him.

Bill shuddered and whimpered with pleasure, reaching with his free hand to stroke himself. He watched his partner's face through half-lidded eyes, smiling at his expression.

“Want me to do anything else?”

“Hn...” Dipper's chest was already heaving. “N-no, I'm all right... though... c-could you slow down a bit?”

Bill obliged, and Dipper began to move with him, making both gasp for breath. Even the vampire, who didn't even need to breathe. Bill started to speak, but Dipper shifted onto an elbow and leaned forward, and without question, Bill moved to meet him.

They kissed sweetly, separating only for breath, Dipper giving his partner meaningful looks each time he did, before joining with him once more. His hand wound into Bill's hair, and Bill slid his arms around his neck as he responded to him, chest warm and fuzzy with emotion. As much as he loved a faster, rougher pace... this was nice. He felt so loved when they were together like this, taking it slow and enjoying each other's presence, rather than focusing on themselves.

“I love you so much,” Dipper murmured against the side of Bill's head.

“I love you too,” Bill replied quietly.

“I'm sorry for being so distant these past few days...”

“No, no, it's okay... I understand. It's natural to feel guilty over what happened...”

“I'm not even the one who killed him, you did that, but... if I hadn't attacked him in the first place, you wouldn't have had to.”

“True, but... I'm not going to hold it against you. You weren't yourself. Like I said... no werewolf would have been able to resist doing what you did. You tried hard not to confront him... but he provoked you. What happened next... well, it was just inevitable. But at least he didn't suffer.”

Dipper made a noise that was almost a sob. “Y-yeah. He didn't suffer. Much.”

“Ssh, it's okay... what you did to him may have hurt, but... that didn't bother him for long. A few minutes. He was probably too full of adrenaline to feel much of it in the moment anyway. And once I knocked him out, there was no more to feel. It was the best we could have done, really...”

Dipper nodded. “Yeah. I just... need to be more careful from now on. Just... I don't know, change, and... don't go anywhere. Just sit right down where I'm at and sleep it off.”

“I'll be more vigilant. Trust me... I won't let this happen again. We can still hunt together. And after, we can sleep through the full moon. If that will make you feel better.”

The man kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. N-now, I think... ah...” Bill moved a little more quickly, hand speeding up to match. “I'm g-getting close...”

Dipper lowered the hand that was in Bill's hair, brushing his fingers down his body until he reached his arousal. He gently pushed his hand away and took over the job himself.

“Nn...” Bill writhed as the larger, warmer hand stroked him, grabbing Dipper's shoulder for support. He bucked more desperately against him, still moving on him, trying to get some friction against that sweet spot, but he wasn't quite managing to get to his edge.

“Hold on. I'm gonna turn us over.” Dipper carefully slid out of him, then rolled the pair over so Bill was on his back underneath him. He kissed him deeply as he entered him once more, and Bill responded enthusiastically, happy that his partner was showing more energy.

Bill wrapped his arms around the other, holding him close as they kissed and traded sweet nothings, occasionally just giggling and sighing as they abandoned themselves to the pleasure.

They finished together, Bill calling out the other's name as he climaxed. Dipper's cry was a little more reserved, but it was still quite throaty and made a stray pang of pleasure go through the vampire.

There was a pause while Dipper withdrew and brushed his hair out of his face, during which Bill shifted to get more comfortable and stretched out. Then, with a groan, Dipper collapsed forward and buried his face against Bill's neck. He wasn't concerned about his weight crushing him; the other was quite used to it. Besides, Bill didn't need to breathe.

“Mm, that was good,” Bill sighed, stroking the other's back.

“Yeah but now I don't want to get up,” Dipper complained.

“Aw, too bad you have to, because we gotta open the shack in an hour,” Bill said sweetly. He butted his head gently against Dipper's. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I am,” Dipper said. He kissed Bill's cheek. “Thanks for, you know. Cheering me up.”

“No problem,” Bill replied smoothly. “To cheer up Pine Tree, have sex with him. I've known that for about two years.”

Dipper laughed and pushed his face to the side as he got up, and Bill grinned as he swung himself out of the bed too. The two pushed each other with their shoulders and teased each other all the way to the shower. Bill felt so much lighter as he saw how much the other was smiling now. Dipper was feeling better. He was was confident that things would be okay now.


	10. Investigation

Gideon stretched as he entered his house, tugging off his jacket with a sigh of relief and tossing it onto the couch. As he tugged his tucked-in shirt out, he called, "Sadachbia!"

Quiet footsteps were the only indication he had that the other had heard, and a moment later, a man stepped out of the kitchen. He was tall, almost six and a half feet, and wore a faded purple thobe that reached to his ankles. He also wore a knee-length robe, left open at the moment, patterned with yellow and orange. Around his waist was a loose rope belt, clasped together with a large ruby cut in the shape of a star.

The man's jaw was square, green eyes round and intelligent. His wavy, raven hair was pulled into a ponytail that rested over over his shoulder. His facial hair was grown out but well groomed; he had no mustache, but he had thick black sideburns going down into a beard about two inches long, which curled just slightly at the end.

His skin was dark brown, and speckled, as though he has spent many years working in the sun.

All in all, he had a very handsome and dignified presence.

"Yes, young master?" he asked in a surprisingly soft voice. It was low, but quiet. Words were difficult to make out at first, but Gideon was used to his way of speaking.

"We've got a new case," Gideon said, sweeping past him and into the kitchen.

"I prepared sandwiches in case you're hungry," the man said.

Gideon grinned as he grabbed one from the counter. "You're the best, Star!"

"Thank you. So you met with the police? What are the details?"

Gideon held his hand up; his mouth was full, already chewing on a sandwich. Once he swallowed, he said, "Pretty odd case. Man was killed, someone wrote a letter to the police to tell them about it and give them a bunch of items they could use to identify him. The writer said he was better off dead. I checked out the body, and you know what? Vampire _and_ werewolf."

"Both?"

"Yep. I'm sure of it."

"Interesting." Sadachbia leaned against the counter, lifting his hands and beginning to make strange gestures, whispering to himself.

"Happened a few days ago," Gideon said. "Body was found out in the woods. He looks like this." He showed Sadachbia a photo he had snapped on his phone of the victim. "Can you find him?"

Sadachbia looked at the picture and nodded, pushing his sleeves back from his wrists a bit. "I'll see what I can find. Give me a moment."

Gideon finished off his sandwich and went to the fridge for a soda. As he popped it open, he watched the teal aura flowing around the man's hands, forming a sphere in his palms. Magic.

As Gideon took a sip of soda, Sadachbia tossed the sphere forward to hover between them, an expression of concentration on his face. The core was filled with fog, but as he focused, it cleared. The image of a forest appeared. Nighttime, the area lit with the light of a full moon.

"Well, look at that." Gideon pointed to a small tent against a tree, as a man dressed in camouflage peeked out briefly before sealing himself back inside.

"Is that him?" Sadachbia asked.

"Yep. Let's see what happens in a few hours. Fast forward."

The older being flicked his index finger. The image didn't change much, except for the area growing darker and shadows shifting with the onset of night and the movement of the moon.

There was movement in the picture, and time returned to its normal pace as a huge wolf walked past the tent, brushed against it, and paused.

"Pause!" Gideon ordered. The image froze. He examined it, brows furrowing. "Definitely a lycanthrope. Four feet at the shoulders... brown fur. If I had to guess? Male, though I can't know for sure without speaking to them. And their eyes... can you zoom in?"

Sadachbia moved his palms apart slightly, and the focus shifted, moving closer to the werewolf. Gideon looked at the eyes.

"Pupils are normal. Whoever they are, they're in control of themselves. Interesting... you can let it continue."

The scene continued to play, but Gideon was stopping it again almost immediately, when an unfamiliar man walked into view and threw out his arm to halt the werewolf.

"Who is that?" Gideon asked.

Sadachbia tilted his head as he examined the image. Then he said, "I can see his fangs as he speaks. A vampire."

"I thought so! So they are working together! Boy, he seems familiar."

Sadachbia's arms wavered. "Young master, this is a great drain on my energy, as you know. Shall we continue?"

"Yes, yes, let's see how this goes." Gideon watched as the vampire spoke to the werewolf, but then the hunter in the tent poked his gun out through the side. The wolf took off running; in the opposite direction. Curious.

Then a flash from the barrel, and the werewolf stumbled; there was no sound, Sadachbia couldn't project that, but it was obvious that the hunter had fired.

"Oh, damn," Gideon said, leaning forward now. "He tried to run."

"Indeed he did," Sadachbia agreed. They watched as the wolf turned around and ran back toward the tent. The hunter shot at him again. The bullet seemed to do nothing but make him angrier.

"Now he just dug his own grave," Gideon mused, finishing the last of his soda.

The rest of the scene was quite interesting. As the vampire fought to hold the wolf at bay, how the hunter attempted to flee only to be caught and slammed down, the fighting between the three creatures.

Until the werewolf finally threw the vampire aside long enough to pin down the hunter and bite him.

"So the vampire tried to stop all of this, and the werewolf lost control," Gideon concluded. "It wasn't a cold-blooded attack. But the man was drained of blood. So... ah, wait."

They saw the vampire have a discussion with the wolf, who was now in control again and noticeably distressed. They shared a hug, and the vampire went to talk to the injured human. Then he knocked him out, and spoke one more time to the wolf. The beast walked away, and the vampire knelt down and pulled the clothes away from the hunter's neck, biting down.

"Okay, that's enough," Gideon said. The image disappeared, and Sadachbia sighed with relief as he sank into a chair. Gideon took the seat across from him. "This is very interesting, wouldn't you say?"

"Definitely. The kill was very reluctant," Sadachbia agreed. "In fact, I would say that the vampire only drank his blood as a mercy killing."

"Be that as it may, it was still a murder. And the werewolf must be apprehended. He can't control himself. He could attack again. He may have killed before. Now, let's see about finding where they live. They're likely residents of this town."

"I saw the vampire," Sadachbia said. "While visiting a local store. He was with someone else."

"When was this?"

"A few days ago. Back when we first moved here and I was buying your groceries. It would have been before the murder took place."

Gideon grabbed his shoulders. "Who? Who was he with?"

"A young man... twenty, probably. Quite tall and thickly built. He was muscular and had a big stomach. Brown hair, brown eyes, some scruff on his jaws and chin... he was somewhat intimidating from a distance, but up close, he had a much gentler expression."

"Hmm... a big brunette with brown eyes? Geeze, that can be anyone. I haven't been here in years. People could have moved in or moved away... Do you have enough energy to show me what he looked like?"

Sadachbia shifted, and shook his head. "Not like that... I'll have to show you more directly." He leaned across the table, gesturing to Gideon. The other stood so he could lean forward too, and Sadachbia took his face gently into his hands. His skin was always so dry and warm, as though he was just traveling through a desert.

Gideon sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his head so that his forehead touched the other's. He wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed this way of transferring information. It was strangely pleasant.

Because for just a few moments, he was able to experience the raw power possessed by a demon.

A shock went through his body as their skin made contact. He could feel energy flooding his system, and it made him want to jump up, run, fight. He took a deep breath and focused, standing still as Sadachbia moved his hands up to Gideon's temples. An image came to the front of the human's mind; a couple walking together, holding hands. One was the vampire, now smiling and much more cheerful than he was in that other vision of the past. And the laughing young man next to him was-

"Dipper Pines?" Gideon exclaimed.

The memory continued until Sadachbia's eyes moved past them; he had no interest in them at the time, besides a mild curiosity about the strangeness of the two. He had sensed something supernatural about them, but since checking would require additional time and energy, he hadn't bothered.

Gideon leaned back, breaking the connection. His mind was confused for a few moments, and then it cleared. "Star, that man was Dipper Pines! I'm almost certain! I mean I haven't seen him in... let's see, eight years, maybe? Not since I began traveling. But that birthmark on his forehead! It was him."

"Yes, the big dipper symbol. That was a birthmark?"

"Yes!" Gideon moved around the table, grasping his friend's shoulders. "His uncle ran this tourist trap that was in competition with my Tent of Telepathy. I ran into him frequently. I... would rather not talk about those days, I was a much different person... but anyway! Yes, Dipper worked in the Mystery Shack during the summer! Him and his sister! Good lord, he must be twenty now! He must have taken over the place as owner!"

Sadachbia chuckled, amused as always by the flush Gideon's cheeks took on when he got worked up. He slid his hands up the other's sides. "Well, shall we go for a visit? At least see if that's where they live? You can reintroduce yourself, get on their good side... And then try to get them to confess."

Gideon nodded a bit. "Yes. Yeah, I should visit. Later, when the shack will be closed. I can figure out how I'm gonna prove their guilt. Good idea, Sadachbia."

"As always." The demon smiled, and leaned down a bit, but Gideon was already pulling away and eagerly going to get his usual research materials, failing to notice the disappointment that crossed Sadachbia's face.

Only when Gideon was out of earshot did a longing sigh escape the demon's lips. For a human, that boy sure was interesting. And a good conversationalist. And intelligent and charismatic. And overall a delight to be around. Even so... it was kinda sad just how much he wanted to kiss him.


	11. Visit

Gideon's partnership with Sadachbia was one that began long ago. When the human was young and making money doing shows in the Tent of Telepathy. He had no true psychic powers, it was all tricks... until he summoned the demon. He had asked him to teach him magic, to augment his abilities, to otherwise be a mentor to him.

And Sadachbia had accepted, and his symbol (representing his true demon form) had adorned Gideon's tent in recognition.

Now, Gideon was quite proficient with magic, especially when aided by an enchanted pendant he had been given. But he kept the demon by his side. To help him. To keep teaching him. Not to mention... he considered him a very close friend.

Sadachbia has helped him achieve his goal of being a psychic detective. He could sense things Gideon couldn't, reveal helpful information, peer into the past and sometimes even the future. Gideon would be lost without his assistance.

The demon donned a white keffiyeh before leaving the house with Gideon. The human has asked him about his fashion before, to which Sadachbia never really gave a clear answer. He merely said he wore the clothes of his culture, claiming that just because he was a demon now, it didn't mean he had to abandon his old humanity.

Gideon had decided not to pry into his clothing choices after that.

It was a short car trip to the Mystery Shack, which hadn't changed much since Gideon last saw it. It looked cleaner, perhaps. More well-maintained.

When they pulled up, the door opened, and a man that Gideon immediately recognized from Sadachbia's memory stepped out to give them a curious look.

Gideon turned off the car and got out, seeing an expression of recognition and then distaste cross the other's face.

"Why, Dipper Pines, is that you?" he called, smiling pleasantly as he walked toward the porch, Sadachbia right behind him.

Silently, a second figure appeared next to Dipper; the vampire, Gideon realized.

"Gideon," Dipper said. "Haven't seen you in a while. Where you been?"

"Traveling. Doin' shows on the road, becoming famous, you know." Gideon hopped up the steps, stopping in front of the two. "And I decided to pursue a career in criminal justice! I'm a detective, now."

"Is that so? Interesting." Dipper's eyes flicked over Sadachbia.

Gideon cleared his throat, and said, "So, gonna introduce me to your friend?"

Dipper reached an arm around his partner's waist. "This is my boyfriend. William Cipher."

"But I just go by Bill," the shorter man said.

Gideon watched his mouth as he spoke. Sharp canine teeth just barely showed. Which confirmed it. This was a vampire.

"Delightful to meet you." Gideon held his hand out, and Bill shook it.

"And who's _your_ friend?" Dipper asked.

"Sadachbia," the demon answered, inclining his head. He shook Dipper and Bill's hands. "I'm Gideon's assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Assistant, huh? So are you a detective too?"

"In a sense. My skills greatly benefit him in his work. And I am helping him with his studies for a degree in criminology."

"Nice. So have you known him long?"

"Quite a while, though I am not at liberty to discuss this."

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Pines," Gideon said, leaning in close. "Since you're used to the supernatural and all... he's not human. He's actually a demon."

"A demon?" That got Dipper's interest. "Oh wow, my uncle Ford would love to hear about this! What kind of demon are you, Sada... Um, what was your name?"

"Sadachbia. And my powers lie with premonition. Seeing into other places and times. I can speak through telepathy if needed, and I also have the standard ability to teleport or levitate myself or objects if I wish."

"Any mind reading?"

"Not unless I'm allowed."

Gideon laughed a bit at Dipper's fascination. "He's a psychic, Dipper. He taught me everything I know."

"Well... hey, I have a kinda supernatural secret too, if you promise not to tell anyone," Dipper said.

Gideon looked quite interested. "Oh? You can certainly tell me."

"Heh, I'm actually-"

Bill suddenly grabbed Dipper's arm. "Can we go inside I need to speak with you immediately."

"What? Can it wait-"

“Nope. Just a couple minutes." Bill pushed him into the house and gave the visitors a charming smile. "We'll be right back, just gotta remind Pine Tree of something." He closed the door.

"Bill, why are you-"

"You can't tell them what you are," Bill hissed. "Didn't you hear? They're detectives. And guess what just happened recently? A murder. One that they've no doubt already figured out involved the supernatural. An experienced forensics analyst can distinguish between a wolf bite and a werewolf bite. And vampire bites are especially recognizable. They know. And if you tell them you're a werewolf? And that I'm a vampire? They'll figure it out."

"Oh damn. You're right. But... they won't have any proof. This is Gravity Falls, there's lots of supernatural creatures. We aren't the only of our kind... I'm sure we won't be the only suspects..."

"But why let them be suspicious of us at all? Don't tell them what we are. I mean, they might have figured out about me already. But you can hide your identity."

Dipper nodded. "Okay. I won't tell them."

"Good."

They stepped back outside.

“Sorry about that,” Dipper apologized. “Bill had to remind me about something private. But um, the supernatural secret… it’s just that we have a few _real_ supernatural things in the shack! Like ya know, Stan used to have all fake stuff, but… we got a few things that are real. Pretty cool, huh?”

Gideon seemed slightly disappointed, then his face brightened again. “That is cool! So, see a lot of paranormal creatures around?”

“You bet. Fairies, gnomes, Manotaurs…”

“How about humanoids? Ever see any… vampires, by chance?”

Dipper stiffened slightly, and Bill casually replied, “We don’t go looking for those, no.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” With no regard to personal space, Gideon leaned in close to him. “Speaking of vampires, your canine teeth are quite sharp on the top row… is that natural?”

“Yes,” Bill said bluntly.

“Really? Are you sure? You can tell me if you are a vampire, you know. I can keep a secret.”

Bill leaned back, suspicion plain on his features. “I can tell you’re a detective, because you ask a lot of questions.”

“I’m just a curious person. And I do specialize in cases involving the supernatural. I’ve picked up a few tricks. Like how to recognize humanoids when I see them.” Gideon took a step forward, and Bill stepped back to keep the other from running into him. The younger boy grinned. “Pale skin, sharp teeth, gold eyes? You’re a vampire, without a doubt.”

Bill swallowed, looking away. “A-and if I am? That in itself is not a crime.”

“Oh no, of course not,” Gideon drawled, gesturing to Sadachbia to follow him as he continued to back Bill toward the wall. “But it is a crime if you’re attacking humans to feed.”

“As I am aware, which is why I don’t feed on humans.” Bill quickly closed his mouth. So much for trying to hide his identity.

“Oh? And what do you feed on, then?”

“Wild animals. Perfectly legal. I came to Gravity Falls to be accepted for who I am. I’m not going to let you intimidate me.” Bill planted his feet, standing tall and refusing to back down anymore.

Gideon could tell that the other was growing annoyed, so he shifted his focus to Dipper. “I think we should go inside and have a chat.”

Dipper glanced at Sadachbia, who was standing behind Gideon, arms crossed. The man sighed. “I don’t have much choice, do I?”

Once inside and seated around the kitchen table, Gideon spoke in a much more formal tone. “I’m gonna be completely honest with you two. I consider you both to be suspects.”

“Of what?” Dipper asked, outraged.

“In the murder of a Mark Adams, a hunter around these parts. You know him?”

Dipper and Bill both shook their heads.

“No idea, there are lots of hunters around here,” Bill said coolly.

“Yes, well… he was killed out in the woods, a few miles from here. An examination of the body revealed marks consistent with the teeth of both a werewolf and a vampire. A fatal amount of blood had been drained from him, which has been determined as the cause of death. So Bill, as a vampire yourself, you would understand my suspicion toward you.”

“That’s very discriminatory,” Bill replied. “I don’t drink from humans. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I… I will admit, I used to feed on them. But… I haven’t in years. Not since being with Dipper.”

“It makes me uncomfortable, so he stopped,” Dipper explained. “And I’m proud of him for not going back on his word.”

“He could very well be sneaking out to do it. Vampires are silent, you would never know if he did,” Gideon pointed out.

Dipper responded with a simple, “I trust him.”

“And I don’t know any werewolves,” Bill stated. “I’m sure I’m not the only of my kind in this area. In fact, I do know of others. But I am not going to give away their names or locations without any solid evidence that they have committed a crime.”

“It would be very useful to our investigation if you gave us this info,” Sadachbia said. Despite his quiet tone, his voice commanded attention, and everyone at the table turned to him when he spoke. “As well as info regarding any werewolves in this town… if you know that.”

“No idea,” Bill said. “We keep to ourselves.”

“Yeah,” Dipper agreed, nervously scratching his arm. “We don’t talk to a lot of people, when we aren’t running the Shack, we aren’t very social. If there are werewolves in Gravity Falls, I’ve never noticed.”

“Hm. Well, we know it is a duo of a vampire and werewolf that killed Mark, so that’s why we’re asking. And Bill here is with you… doesn’t hurt to check in, does it?” Gideon started to stand, eyes falling on Dipper’s arm. Then he paused. “Wait, what is that?”

Dipper stopped scratching. “What’s what?”

“Those marks on your arm.”

Dipper shrugged. “Bug bites? I don’t know.” He moved his hand away, casually tilting his arm, but Gideon grasped his wrist and rotated it. “Hey!”

“Sadachbia, look,” Gideon called.

The demon stood, leaning across the table to look, and Bill hissed.

“What are these scars from?” Gideon asked, staring at the ringlets of dots on the man’s arm.

“I uh… I don’t know.” Dipper yanked his arm away. “I get into all kinds of weird plants, could be a rash.”

“Too uniform,” Sadachbia said. “Those were left by teeth.”

“Canine teeth,” Gideon mused.

Dipper stood, moving that arm behind his back. “Okay, well, it was nice seeing you again but I don’t exactly appreciate being manhandled in my own house, so… maybe you two should go and get back to your investigation.”

“Oh, most certainly,” Gideon replied, far too sweet. He slid his phone out of his pocket, casually scrolling through it. “But before I go… Dipper, what do you think of this photo I found?”

Dipper looked at the phone when it was turned around, and immediately backpedaled, throwing his hand over his mouth to hold in a shout at the high-resolution photo of a full moon. He realized a second later that it was just a picture, but in his panic, he managed to trip and land hard on his back. He was panting by the time Bill helped him up, and Gideon was grinning like he just won the lottery.

“Only one creature would panic so much at such a simple picture,” the young man laughed. He walked close to Dipper, standing up on the tips of his toes so he could get in his face. “Werewolf.”


	12. Giving In

Dipper swallowed and backed away from the shorter man, nervously looking to Bill for help. “I-I just... I thought...” He licked the roof of his suddenly dry mouth, unable to think of a reasonable excuse. Really, was there even an excuse for panicking at the sight of a full moon? None that a human would make...

“Thought what?” Gideon asked gleefully.

“He doesn't have to explain himself to you,” Bill said, getting up and going to stand protectively in front of his partner. “I suggest you two move along if you don't have any real evidence that we're involved in this murder.”

“Fine. But if either of you have any information regarding this, or I don't know, perhaps something to confess... here's my number.” Gideon took out a business card and handed it to Bill, before turning and tapping Sadachbia lightly on the back. “Come on darlin', let's get back home. I need to brush up on my anti-werewolf magic.”

“Very well, young master.” Sadachbia gave the two a long look, his green eyes thoughtful, before following his partner.

Once they were outside and getting into their car, Bill questioned, “Darlin'?”

“Southern hospitality thing, I don't even think he realizes it.” Dipper waited until the car was on the road heading away from the shack, before seizing the kitchen table and flipping it over.

Bill leaped back, startled by the crash of wood against the floor. “Pine Tree, what the hell?!”

“I knew we wouldn't just get away with it!” Dipper kicked a chair, sending it flying across the room. “Of course they would track it back to us, and of course fucking _Gideon_ of all people would be involved in the investigation, he knows we did it, he just has to get proof! Damn it, why did I decide to track down that stupid hunter?”

Another chair was hurled through the air by Dipper's foot, one of its legs breaking off when it landed.

Bill took the werewolf's face in his hands and pulled him down slightly, looking into his eyes as he said, “You did nothing wrong. You had no idea what you were doing. It was all instinct, and you tried not to hurt that man. He provoked you... no werewolf could have resisted attacking. Look, it's like you said... Gideon has no proof. That demon with him, that psychic... maybe he could look into the past, and like... see that we did it. But how's he gonna prove it to the cops? That's not exactly accepted as evidence.”

“Except our police force includes Blubs and Durland,” Dipper pointed out. “Who are fully aware of the supernatural like most of the town. And if the demon has a way to show them using his abilities, well... they might just accept it.”

“And how would they bring that to court to prosecute us?”

“I don't know, it's Gideon, he'll find a way. He's very persuasive and charming. Always has been. I never thought I'd see him again... or if I did, I never would have expected him to be doing this kind of work. It suits him, though...”

“I've never met him before now, I wouldn't know.” Bill gently ran his hands through Dipper's hair, pleased when he sighed and relaxed. “Things will be okay. We'll just lay low. Maybe they'll find a dead end with their investigation and drop it. And as long as you don't hurt anyone else, they'll have no reason to try and find you.”

Dipper nodded a bit, leaning into Bill's hands. “Maybe. It's still a murder though... even if they understand why I did it, surely the family wants justice. I... I feel we should apologize somehow...”

“I wrote a letter. It's the best I could have done without giving away our identity. Just try to put it out of mind. Things happen. All we can do is learn from them.”

After a pause, Dipper said, “Sorry for wrecking the kitchen.”

Bill smiled. “Ah, no big deal. We can fix it.” He let go of the other and leaned down to lift the table up, setting it on its legs. Dipper retrieved the chairs and returned them to their places, though he ended up having to discard the broken one. He mentally put buying a new chair on his to do list.

“So... you wanna go hunting?” Dipper asked awkwardly. “You haven't eaten in a while.”

Bill self-consciously rubbed his eyes. He knew that red was beginning to take over the outsides of his irises. “N-no, I'm okay for a while longer... I don't want to make you go hunting when you're clearly still uncomfortable.”

“No, I can hunt, I have full control when it's not a full moon...”

“And with hunting season in full swing, you could possibly run into more hunters. Even on a regular night, who knows... you might get an urge.”

Dipper frowned. “Maybe, but... I've been going out for years, and... haven't really ran into anyone. I just had bad luck this time. Come on, you look hungry.”

“I'm fine,” Bill insisted, with a forced laugh. “Why don't we just have dinner here, hm? Like couples typically do. As long as we have some kind of meat, I'll get by.”

Dipper shrugged and went over to the refrigerator. “All right, I suppose. Does ham sound okay?”

“That sounds fantastic.”

Bill smiled as the other dug around in the fridge, but soon looked down, nervously fiddling with his nails. Almost bedtime... and then he could go out on one of his usual flights in the dark. He always anticipated the peaceful flights under the night sky, where it could just be him and his thoughts. And hopefully, no one will catch wind of what he had planned for tonight.

 

Bill laid curled up in Dipper's arms that night, singing to him as he fell asleep, watching with loving eyes until his muscles relaxed, breathing slowing. Once the other was out, Bill slipped out of his grasp and walked softly through the room, exiting it and heading downstairs.

He tugged on a light jacket with a hood, nervously fiddling with the hem of it as he walked outside. He contemplated what he was about to do, and almost turned around and went back in. But a pang of hunger drove him on, and he spread his arms as he jumped off the porch, shifting into his bat form in less than a second and flapping high into the sky.

The vampire flew with his eyes closed, occasionally shrieking and letting echolocation guide him, though he was flying far above anything that he could possibly run into. All he had to watch for were other nocturnal fliers. Other bats, maybe owls... but they didn't pose much of a threat.

He ran his tongue over his fangs, sighing at the hunger pains in his body. He absolutely craved blood, he hasn't fed since the incident in the woods, and while he has gone this long without eating before, it still wasn't pleasant.

And to make things worse... he had reacquired an old favorite taste.

Bill opened his eyes when he reached the main part of Gravity Falls, flying over buildings and homes. A few people were still out and about, but not many. It was a week day, people were relaxing, sleeping before another day of work or school.

 _You really should not be doing this_ , a little voice whispered in his head as he flew lower, scouting out the residents that were still outside. _You promised Dipper you wouldn't._

 _Dipper's not here,_ he thought back.

_He'll be angry._

_He'll never find out. I need to do this. For me._ Bill took in a breath and forced his conscience aside, swooping down and going through a window that had been left open in someone's house. He landed and got up, changing back and looking around quickly. This was a bedroom, and there was only one inhabitant. A woman who was sleeping soundly, curled up under the covers.

Bill listened carefully for noise from the rest of the house, but heard none. The most prominent sound was the heartbeat of the sleeping human. Its rhythmic beat pounded in his ears, and he could almost hear the blood that rushed beneath the skin.

He crept over to the bed, part of him rebelling against this, telling him that it was wrong, he was better than this, he had put aside his old ways... but he was so hungry. And bite wounds healed... it wouldn't permanently hurt her, he could bite and get a taste and then escape. Less than a minute.

Don't do it. Human blood is a horrible addiction, don't let it pull you back in-

_But I want it._

Don't-

_I must-_

No.

 _Yes_.

Bill lunged forward in a practiced attack, muscle memory easily taking over as if he had done this mere days ago. One hand clamped down on the victim's mouth to hold in any screams and also to turn their head and expose the throat, while the other arm slammed down over the chest to pin them. The bed-covers would take care of the legs.

Fangs were bared, and Bill sank his teeth into the woman's throat.

She immediately thrashed awake, eyes wide and throat working as she attempted to protest, but the vampire held her tight, biting harder. His teeth broke through the flesh, puncturing into the thick vein underneath, and he nearly moaned as blood poured out, running down his throat, thick and coppery and _delicious_.

Bill swallowed the mouthful and eagerly sucked out more, lost in the bliss for several glorious moments, as his victim slowly stopped fighting and fell into a kind of stupor, eyes half-lidded and watching nothing. It was useful, how a vampire had mild anesthesia in their saliva... It certainly helped with those unruly humans.

He could have drank forever, but his sense caught up to him, and he abruptly pulled his mouth away. He panted, blood dripping down his lips, staring as the twin puncture holes continued to leak. He blinked, and then dove back down, licking the spots. It took a few tries, but then the bleeding stopped, blood clots forming. He could feel the human shifting, recovering, and knew he needed to wrap this up. He gave the wound a final lick, silently blessing it and wishing for it to heal completely, and then leaned back, meeting the other's frightened eyes.

“I'm so sorry, but I was so hungry, and only human blood would do,” he apologized. He let go and changed back into a bat, hurling himself out of the room as she started to hyperventilate and scrambled out of bed.

As Bill flew back toward the shack, he was still able to taste the delectable liquid. And he could still feel the pulsing of that heartbeat against his fangs by the time he was walking into the house.

And as he discarded his clothes and climbed into bed with Dipper, who yawned and shifted to accept him, completely unaware of what had transpired, Bill closed his eyes and cursed himself for giving in to his most basic instincts. Yet he still wanted more... wanted to taste hot blood fresh from the neck of a panicking, struggling human. He was a monster...


End file.
